Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 126 - 14: The Matter of Sister Long (Part 2)

Chapter 126: Chapter 14: The Matter of Sister Long (Part 2)

Susu reported the things given by Ruan Qiniang to the Old Madam and then took them back to her own room.

Four bolts of palace silk in fashionable patterns, four pockets, each containing a ring, identical to those given to the girls, presumably gifted by the Old Madam of Earl Annan.

A set of jewelry with a gold filigree inlaid with red gemstones, peony wealth pattern, consisting of sixteen pieces, was given by Ruan Qiniang.

Ruan Qiniang had specially hinted to Susu about the jewelry box containing this set. Susu carefully checked it and indeed found a hidden compartment with a letter from Ruan Qiniang inside.

In the letter, Ruan Qiniang explained the attitude of the Imperial Concubine at Prince Gong Mansion to Susu, telling her not to be afraid, and if there’s no other choice, the last resort would be to reveal Susu’s identity to Prince Gong, who, with his preference for peace over trouble, wouldn’t report to the Emperor.

But this is really the last resort.

Moreover, both the Imperial Concubine and the Old Madam of Duke Zhen Guo said it was too dangerous for Susu to stay in the Capital. Either never appear in the Shun’an Earl Mansion for a lifetime or marry far away and return to the Capital after the current emperor’s demise.

Ruan Qiniang naturally suggested that Susu choose to marry. Even if she doesn’t marry, she should leave the Capital and come back after the Ruan Family restores their title.

The Imperial Concubine has already conveyed a message through the Princess Consort to Old Madam Song, depending on Susu’s standing in Old Madam Song’s heart!

If the Song Family truly wishes to align with Prince Gong Mansion by sending Susu there, the Imperial Concubine could also arrange for a ’death escape,’ sending Susu to the Northwest.

The summary is to set Susu’s mind at ease.

With a sister like this, Susu felt her transmigration wasn’t in vain.

As she read further, Ruan Qiniang also mentioned Ruan Shiniang.

Now Ruan Shiniang has been favored again, though she remains a concubine, she is pregnant.

Prince Ke, as a prince, naturally knows that the Ruan Family will be restored. Although he doesn’t dare show overt favoritism to Ruan Shiniang, he has ordered a separate courtyard for her to care for her pregnancy.

Upon hearing this news, Susu felt a jolt in her heart, as she remembered that Ruan Shiniang didn’t keep this pregnancy; she miscarried at five months, losing a fully formed male fetus.

Because of this, Prince Ke thought of his birth mother and was moved with compassion, promoting Ruan Shiniang to a concubine.

The heroine also embarked on her path to becoming the Empress Dowager because of this!

Ruan Shiniang’s miscarriage was, of course, orchestrated by the Princess Consort, using the clichéd method of tripping over something.

Susu originally wanted to be a mere bystander, indifferent to gaining the heroine’s favor. Befriending her was merely to leave a good impression, just in case.

But from Ruan Qiniang, Susu realized that blood ties are not easily severed. Now, she’s troubled by the inability to pass on messages. As for whether it would change the fate of the characters in the book, Susu stopped caring long ago.

Because this is a real world.

Elsewhere, the Heir’s wife, seeing the Old Madam being so close to Ruan Qiniang, understood it as a compliment to her from her grandmother. In return, she sent her trusted maid, Wen Xiang, with a few servants to bring over several boxes of items that very afternoon.

Wen Xiang first met with Susu and said, "A few days ago, the Old Madam instructed to make a cloak for you, which is now tailored, a bright red ape wool. Our mistress also took the liberty of adding another, a bright red feather yarn with white fox fur."

Susu quickly thanked the Heir’s wife.

"These days, while sorting through chests, there are quite a few clothes our mistress didn’t wear when she was a girl, kept for nostalgia, now left to mildew is a pity. Mistress ordered these to be shared among her close people, and she selected some for you. I hope you won’t mind. Some will be given to the sisters in the Old Madam’s courtyard as well."

Now that Susu’s status has changed, Wen Xiang’s tone became even more respectful, with a hint of envy.

She’s a maid born within the family, destined to marry within the household, to serve as a housekeeper wife for the Heir’s wife. Ever since they joined the Song Family, it’s known that the Old Madam’s senior maids all marry off as main wives.

Perhaps they didn’t know others, but there was Yang Liu, who got married outside. Rumor has it she married into a countryside squire’s family with vast fields and numerous shops and estates; Yang Liu married in as a young mistress of the house.

Not to mention the most beloved Susu by the Old Madam.

Wen Xiang, being the confidante maid of the Heir’s wife, naturally knew that the Heir personally secured the residential registration and property deed for Susu, receiving two hundred acres of fertile land and an estate even before leaving the household, making her quite the envy among maids!

Susu took Wen Xiang to the upper room to greet the Old Madam, who laughed after hearing their visit, "Your mistress truly knows my heart, I just like to see the girls around me dressed beautifully, it’s pleasant to the eye."

Saying this, she asked Susu to bring out the set of jewelry from the New Year’s new arrivals at Tian Gong Pavilion, a gold filigree inlaid with gems and kingfisher feather peacock clutching fungus set, to give to the Heir’s wife.

The jewelry set consisted of eighteen pieces, studded with either pigeon blood red gemstones or emeralds, cornflower blue sapphires, along with diamonds, radiant and extraordinary, especially with its unique kingfisher craftsmanship, the only set of its kind!

The Old Madam originally intended to send it to the palace, but found it too conspicuous, so she kept it, only now giving it to the Heir’s wife.

The Old Madam also rewarded Wen Xiang with a pair of shrimp whisker bracelets inlaid with pearls in red gold, before sending her back to report.

Needless to say, the Heir’s wife was overjoyed upon seeing the jewelry set, and Wen Xiang remarked on the Old Madam’s generosity.

Here, at Sui’an Hall, every maid with a sense of dignity received an upper garment or a skirt rewarded by the Heir’s wife, and even the lower maids and rough servants received a piece of fabric.

The ones meant for Susu were kept separately, a large chest of entirely new clothes, six sets of major and minor cottoned jackets and fur skirts.

Ning Cui naturally wasn’t jealous of Susu’s gains, Ming Yu and Yun Duo even if they are, cannot express it, let alone anyone else.

Susu’s chests were too many for the side room to hold; many were tagged and stored in the small warehouse, the ones privately given by the Old Madam, unbeknownst to Ning Cui and Yang Liu, were countless!

They were currently discussing Susu’s dowry list with Nanny Qin, and what Susu had saved for herself was practically untouched!

This year’s New Year’s was the first one since the Old Madam came to Shangjing, also the first since the Eldest Young Madam married into the family.

Though the Heir’s wife manages the household, the New Year is different from ordinary days; many issues she can’t decide on, requiring consultation with the Old Madam!

The Old Madam was aware of the difficulties of having no mother-in-law to guide her, and of course, explained in detail, prompting the Heir’s wife to privately chant countless prayers, grateful to her parents for choosing a good family for her.

The Shun’an Earl Mansion was harmonious on the surface, but only a few with insight knew that several young performers were sold by the household!

Susu naturally knew about this matter, not only knew, but also handled it personally, having Mrs. Zhao source people for it.

The Old Madam originally intended to find an excuse to discreetly sell off a few of the young ones, including that girl Long, so she wouldn’t stand out. Later, Ruan Qiniang would have someone buy Long, while the rest would be arranged into better families, better than being performers.

But human plans often fail to compare with heaven’s designs.

Before Susu could arrange everything, an incident occurred behind the garden by the theater building.

A young performer named He Guan’er bribed a gatekeeper servant and sneaked out through the side door of Sui’an Hall, "accidentally" encountering the Heir returning home from court.

Unfortunately, she overestimated herself and underestimated the Heir!

Song Qinghe, though not impervious to temptation, wasn’t clouded by desire due to inexperience. He ordered He Guan’er to be tied up and sent back to Sui’an Hall for disposal.

These young performers were gifted to the Old Madam by the Eldest Master, and although the Heir’s wife managed the household, she had no authority over Sui’an Hall.

But these performers originated from Sui’an Hall. Angered that she disrupted the Sui’an Hall’s order, as well as to provide an explanation to the Heir’s wife and loathed such unruliness, after discussions, it ended up being handled by Susu.

Following the Old Madam’s orders, Susu dismissed the Green Robe Lady, and all the young performers were sold off.

As for the gatekeeper servant who was bribed, part of the Second Madam’s dowry chamber, she and her entire family were bound and sent to the Second Madam. The Song Family simply cannot afford such an untrustworthy servant!

The incident proved to be a reminder for the idle servants throughout the mansion who had witnessed the Old Madam’s methods, serving as a lesson!

However, the Old Madam issued a gag order on the matter, forbidding the servants from gossiping. With the Second Master soon returning to the Capital for his duties, this matter quickly drowned in new gossip, only remembered by those sweeping the theater’s yard with occasional sighs.