Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 128 - 16: Looking Forward to Happiness

By the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Second Master hurried back home in a flurry, and the Second Miss seemed intent on making up for the seventeen years of estrangement previously endured, fretting over the Second Master’s well-being with an overwhelming enthusiasm.

This made the Second Master feel quite unsettled, though he dared not dampen his daughter’s enthusiasm—a bittersweet pleasure indeed!

Though the Third Master and Third Madam had not arrived, their gifts were never lacking. For the first time, they were separated from their children for such an extended period, not celebrating the New Year together.

Afraid their daughter and son would suffer grievances, they sent all kinds of fine items to the Capital, smoothing things over with such thoroughness that upon visiting the Sixth Miss, Fifth Young Master, and Sixth Young Master, one would have thought they were encountering the Money Boy.

It made the Old Madam both angry and amused, ultimately sighing, "Oh, the heart of a parent, always so tender!"

The Old Madam had always cherished the children of the Third Wife, and now thinking of their tender age and separation from their parents, her heart ached even more.

During the festive season, the Old Madam took the Heir’s wife and the young ladies for visits everywhere while Susu stayed nestled in Sui’an Hall.

Either reminiscing about Old Madam’s letter to Hong Sheng in a daze or engaging Ning Xiang and Yun Tong in a cram-style education.

It was the Old Madam who, unable to bear it, sent Susu to Yang Liu’s home.

"Let the children relax!" With the Old Madam’s words, the two poor children escaped in a hurried dash.

Meanwhile, Susu sent New Year gifts to Mrs. Zhao and then arrived at the Qiao family.

At that moment, lying on Yang Liu’s bed, she laughed, "Those two children see me now and they want to cry. Their hearts are so fragile, they need training!"

Yang Liu looked at Susu as if she were mad, "You think everyone is like you, encountering such things and still eating, drinking, and showing a disposition as vast as running horses!"

Susu said nothing, but Yang Liu understood Susu’s unspoken meaning.

This matter was never theirs to decide, even the Fourth Miss was fated for the Song family’s predestined path, let alone Susu, who’s but a maid.

The Old Madam has done all this for Susu, caring for her dearly!

Thinking of these vexations brought Yang Liu to tears, uncontrollably streaming down.

Seeing this, Susu rushed to hand her a handkerchief, "Can’t have this during the New Year’s season."

Yang Liu pressed the handkerchief to her eyes, "Are you really going to marry in the Northwest? Though Hong Sheng is technically an official, but there, a household head isn’t even as good as a Seventh Rank County Magistrate in Yangzhou! Even if you can’t stay in the Capital, going to Yangzhou would also be fine. With the Third Master and Third Madam, and Bisi there, they wouldn’t let you suffer too much. But going to the Northwest, it’s so far, with nothing but yellow sands—I’ve heard. If you suffer, wanting to help you would be beyond reach!"

Susu quietly listened, waiting for Yang Liu to finish, and then spoke, "We grew up together; if others don’t know me, could you not know? Am I a person who willingly suffers? Besides, regarding Hong Sheng, we have some insider knowledge—switching to someone else, could they be better than him? A Northwest household head in the Capital can’t compare to even gate guards, but in the Northwest, he commands eight hundred soldiers! Someone of my appearance wouldn’t be protected by small households, and the large noble families would mean a life as a concubine. Sister, Hong Sheng is already the best choice."

Sometimes, Yang Liu felt Susu wasn’t like some blossoming young girl, but rather terrifyingly calm and rational.

Though she felt for Susu, she also knew this was most fitting, momentarily struck speechless.

"Good sister, remember what the Old Madam said—that the world is vast, and splendid scenes abound. From then on, I felt a deep longing; I’ve already seen Yangzhou’s flourish, the Capital’s grandeur, and now I have the chance to see the frontier landscapes of ’the desert smoke straight, the long river sunset round’, which also fulfills my dream!"

Upon Susu finishing her words, Yang Liu recollected when Hong Sheng first came to the inner courtyard to pay respects to the Old Madam.

Thinking of this, Yang Liu lamented, "You and Hong Sheng indeed have some destined ties, much like a play’s rescue gratitude rewarded with lifelong commitment!"

Susu was startled, then laughed, "Isn’t that just the case!"

Who could have anticipated such a marvelous connection?

"Though given the current situation, Hong Sheng might not even want to marry me! If he doesn’t wish, I’ll go to Yangzhou to accompany Sister Bisi, with Sister Amber and Sister Dong Song there as well—it’s quite nice."

Upon hearing this, Yang Liu widened her almond eyes.

"Should he not desire, marrying you would be his fortune earned over eight lifetimes! Though we are maids, those of large noble families never worry about marriage, many become Official Wives, not to mention your virtues and dowry. You stay at home avoiding gossip, and the other day, with our Second Miss marrying from Changle Earl Mansion’s Second Wife, the dowry seemed to have a hundred and eight gifts, yet not exceeding twenty thousand taels of silver. This was for a young lady from a founding Earl family! Even my dowry reached some twenty-thousand to thirty-thousand taels! The Old Madam would most cherish us, even more so considering your grievances—only to have more, never less."

Yang Liu’s words indeed hit the nail on the head.

The Old Madam and Nanny Qin discussed the dowry prepared for Susu, clearly involving Susu who handled the storeroom.

Though good things are never too many, even Susu herself felt it excessive, shared with the Old Madam, who merely assured her.

The Old Madam favored her, naturally Susu couldn’t elaborate to Yang Liu, thus she shifted the discussion to Ning Cui.

Ning Cui, a few months elder than Yang Liu, started her match-making upon arriving in the Capital, decided upon a young man by year’s end.

To everyone’s surprise, his family neither possessed enormous wealth nor vast fields of rich land,

His household was in a village under Steward Ning’s ranch, orphaned of parents, with only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old sister as company.

He himself was quite old at twenty-five, a Seventh Rank Captain in the Five Armies Camp.

Only owning fifty mu of land, a horse, and three rooms as fixed assets!

Somehow connecting with Steward Ning, gaining favor, leading Steward Ning to forgo a large forest, promising his daughter to him!

While the parents’ commands and matchmakers’ words prevail, Ning Cui’s engagement wasn’t solely parents-decided; the Old Madam hadn’t even met the man.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Ning visited, spoke of something unknown, prompting the Old Madam to settle the matter. Ning Cui returned home once, and upon return, shyly replied.

Those days, Susu was engrossed in the storeroom, rigorously guiding Ning Xiang and Yun Tong. When informed, Ning Cui’s engagement was finalized.

Only after the New Year would the marriage proceed, akin to Yang Liu’s near-simultaneous engagement. Mainly as the groom feared delay-induced changes, evident of his keen interest in Ning Cui!

In reality, Ning Cui typically conducted herself lively and openly, but upon engagement inquiry, she behaved even more shyly than Yang Liu, blushing before uttering anything.

Susu queried briefly, to which Ning Cui replied, "Seen plenty of gentle elegance and extraordinary nobility here, but too wily and exhausting. Though he’s robust and coarse, he’s genuine!" saying so recalled something privately, her face red yet again!

Knowing Susu’s concern, Ning Cui shyly admitted, "He pledged to heed me henceforth, turning in all monthly salary—I sense this is my desire."

Susu conveyed this to Yang Liu, who also chuckled.

"Susu, we shall find happiness, right?" Yang Liu’s tone was not entirely assured, neither was it querying, a mix of hope, a blend of apprehension.

Susu returned her a radiant smile, "Certainly, we will find happiness!"

Susu had always remembered that happiness is self-made, not granted by another!