Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 63 - 13: The Grand Mansion (Part 1)

Outside the main gate of the Shun’an Earl Mansion, the maids, older women, daughters-in-law, lackeys, and both small and large stewards stood neatly on either side of the gate, while the men and women, old and young, standing in the middle, were all dressed in brocade clothing, exhibiting an extraordinary presence.

Perhaps they had waited for a while, as the two middle-aged noblewomen standing at the forefront clearly displayed impatience in their eyes until they saw a carriage team approaching from afar. They hurriedly adjusted the ornaments on their heads, revealing smiles that did not reach their eyes. These two were Lady Shun’an and the Second Madam, both surnamed Chang.

Nanny Qin, standing behind the two, cared little for others’ thoughts and, upon seeing the carriage approaching, smiled and said, "The Old Madam has arrived!"

Leading the way were several young men on horseback. After dismounting and paying respects to the two madams, the first carriage stopped at the mansion’s entrance.

The crowd watched as two rough-handling maidservants sitting outside the carriage alighted first, took down a step stool, and then lifted the curtain. They first helped two beautiful maids out of the carriage, Ning Cui and Yang Liu, who were beside the Old Madam. Then, they saw a slender, plain hand lift the sky-blue veil, and the Old Madam looked out, leaning on Yang Liu’s hand as she got off the carriage.

Following them, two slightly younger maids, Susu and Yun Duo, also alighted. Susu barely lifted her head before hearing the sound of gasps, presumably from the many impolite servants sneaking a look. The First Madam’s face darkened slightly upon hearing this. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

At that moment, the young ladies also got off the carriage, and the cart carrying luggage had already turned toward the West Corner Gate.

The crowd exchanged greetings without much detail and then surrounded the Old Madam as she entered the gate and transferred into a sedan chair. Naturally, Susu and the other three had no sedan chair to sit in, so they gathered around Nanny Qin. Yun Duo, who considered Nanny Qin her godmother, affectionately took her arm and asked with concern, "Godmother, is everything well?"

Nanny Qin patted her hand and laughed, "All is well, all is well. It’s just that with the Old Madam and you all absent, this old woman found the large courtyard rather lonely!"

Yang Liu was very concerned about the future residence. Nanny Qin jokingly scolded, "You’re so anxious; you’ll find out soon enough!" Yang Liu giggled, holding her hand, "Good Nanny, please tell us!" Nanny Qin tapped Yang Liu’s forehead with a smile lighting up her face.

In terms of affection, Yun Duo and the others were no match for Yang Liu and the other three’s relationship with Nanny Qin. Unable to resist Yang Liu’s coaxing, she said as they walked, "Our mansion is a multi-entry courtyard. The entire mansion is divided into central, eastern, and western routes, each with a five-entry courtyard. Our Sui’an Hall is at the rear of the western route, with a courtyard for the young ladies next to it. Though the area isn’t large, there are plenty of rooms like side courtyards, inverted rooms, rear covered rooms, wing rooms, embracing summer rooms, and ear rooms enough to live in."

Nanny Qin spoke of this, feeling that people in the capital truly knew how to play with residences, and the numerous rooms in these courtyards almost made this old woman lose her way in the newly arranged Sui’an Hall. After some thought, Nanny Qin added, "The central part is given to the First Wife, the eastern part is divided into two sections, one for the Second Wife and the other for the Third. There’s also the outer courtyard for the men to conduct affairs and the unmarried young masters to live in. The Princely Heir’s new residence is behind the central route, separated from our Sui’an Hall only by a few winding corridors and screen walls. This is just for you to know; it doesn’t really concern us. I’ve been here for almost half a month, focusing solely on arranging the Sui’an Hall, so I’m really not clear about the mansion’s procedures."

As they spoke, having walked about two-three hundred meters, they took a turn, the sedan chair stopped, and a sturdy old woman took over. Nanny Qin explained, "Beyond the Hanging Flower Gate is the inner courtyard, where the lackeys can’t enter at will. Go serve ahead."

The sedan chair came to a stop before the Hanging Flower Gate, and the four hurried forward to lift the sedan curtain, assisting the Old Madam down. The Old Madam reminded Susu and the others to be careful, while the Fifth Girl and Sixth Girl getting off behind were also somewhat nervous, "The houses in the capital are like this, one gate after another. When you see the famous ’Hutongs’ later, you might be even more confused."

As they spoke, they entered the Hanging Flower Gate, flanked by covered corridors. In the middle was a passage hall with a marble-inlaid zitan wood screen placed at the center. Turning past the screen, the main courtyard appeared, with five main rooms on the front and covered walkways and wing rooms on the sides, all richly decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, exuding splendor and magnificence.

The courtyard housed many buildings, orderly and well-spaced, creating a pleasant sight.

Once entering the main room, Susu and the others relaxed a bit, only because this Sui’an Hall was quite similar to the gardens in Yangzhou, even the furnishings and furniture being what the Old Madam was accustomed to. Susu and the others admired Nanny Qin, truly the Old Madam’s closest confidante.

Once the Old Madam was seated, the wives and grandchildren of the First and Second Wife formally paid respects to her in turn.

The First Madam, not yet forty, appeared much older than she had in Yangzhou, making Lady Yue behind her appear even more youthful and vibrant. Although Lady Yue could no longer bear children, the Old Master felt indebted to her. Besides saving up a significant amount of personal silver for her, he even had a son born of a concubine officially registered under her name and raised by her, which was the Eighth Young Master.

Now, with a son, wealth, and favored, Lady Yue’s maiden family, enhanced by the Old Master’s assistance, had grown stronger, even though a concubine wasn’t highly regarded in the capital. No one in the mansion dared slight her. The Eighth Young Master, now just three, was raised excellently by Lady Yue. Susu watched impassively, finding him even more intelligent than the already four-year-old Seventh Young Master of the Second Wife. Sweetly addressing her as ’Grandmother,’ he made even the Sixth Young Master feel inferior with his charm.

The First Madam, in recent years, not only added an Eighth Young Master but also had a Seventh-ranked daughter, who was born to her primary maid, Liu Li. Since a daughter was born, Liu Li was promoted from concubine to Aunt Mei.

The Seventh Girl had a fortunate birth date and was soon to be five, after the First Madam’s eldest daughter married. The Seventh Girl was then brought up beside the First Madam, engaging in significant conflicts with Aunt Mei and Lady Yue.

The First Madam brought the Seventh Girl to pay respects to the Old Madam. Though young, she was astutely aware of people’s expressions. Unfamiliar with her grandmother, the Old Madam, she knew her own and her aunt’s lives depended entirely on the First Madam, following her every command.

Upon seeing the First Madam looking at Susu, she also followed the gaze, adorably and naively remarking, "Who is this sister, even more beautiful than my Aunt and Aunt Hua!"

The Aunt Hua she mentioned was the Fourth Miss’s birth mother, initially a Yangzhou thin horse given to the Old Master, whose beauty was necessary, and talent exceptional. Despite her aging, the Old Master still spent three or four days a month in her quarters.

Because of her lowly origins, Aunt Hua valued the Fourth Miss’s etiquette and demeanor. Learning that the Fourth Miss could be raised by the Old Madam, she vowed to live a lifetime of vegetarianism, praying for blessings for the Old Madam and the Fourth Miss. The Old Madam was generous and did not discriminate based on background, previously inviting her over for chats often without looking down on her due to her status, aggravating the First Madam, who in private spoke untold harsh words.

As the First Madam had no means of aggravating the Old Madam, the adept concubine eyed Susu with disdain and remarked, "Isn’t she called Susu..." (to be continued, this sister has her tricks!)