Chapter 3

Ji Ling felt a bit embarrassed, yet also somewhat angry. Indeed, her aunt's family did not have the opportunity to give her a daily bath; in the capital, firewood and rice were expensive, and boiling water also cost money. However, Ji Ling bathed with the cool water she drew from the well every day, even in winter. She had always been very particular about cleanliness.

The elder son of Madam Su, referred to as A Shi by the old lady, is the one among the grandchildren whom the old lady holds in the highest regard

Shuzhen, being the youngest and less cautious, looked at Jiling and asked, "Madam, who is this sister?"

Ji Ling understood that Qian Mian said this out of disdain for her. Although she is currently a young girl raised by the old lady, in reality, she cannot compare to the older maid beside the old lady.

While Yao Mama was combing the old lady's hair, Ji Ling quietly watched from the side, saying nothing and hardly moving at all

At last, the old lady turned to the young girl Nan Hui beside her and said, "Go and see what the eldest daughter-in-law is doing. If she is free, ask her to come over for a while"

The old lady said, "Good daughter, I would like Ling girl to study with Master Zhou as well. Please make a trip tomorrow to inform Master Zhou, and also add to Ling girl's tuition."

Inevitably, comparisons would arise in her little mind, but after much deliberation, Ji Ling realized that she still preferred the bustling life at her aunt's house. Although it was somewhat impoverished, it was a life full of vigor.

Qian Mian said while scrubbing her back: "Miss, bear with it a little, the people in this mansion have the noses of dogs; they can smell even the slightest hint of mud and fish. Your aunt's family probably doesn't give you many opportunities to bathe either"

As expected, after hearing this, the old lady glanced at Ji Ling behind her in the mirror and let out a barely perceptible sigh.

Thus, it is preferable to be cheap to outsiders rather than to those girls who crawled out from the bellies of concubines

I see, it seems that the daughter-in-law is a bit shy. Su said with a smile. She understood that this was the old lady's way of reminding her that Ji Ling was being raised as a proper young lady in the household, and not merely as a maid to alleviate boredom

However, the old lady did not have any young girls' clothing here, and it would not be appropriate to use the maid's attire, so she sent the big maid nearby to the main room to ask the third young lady for some old clothes

Ji Ling naturally did not dare to nod, "No." Just these two short words, more frugal with words than an adult

By the beginning of the Shen hour, the young ladies in the mansion had all finished their studies. Unlike the young men who had to take the imperial examinations, they did not have to endure such hardships.

In the dream, Ji Ling had never dreamed of these things. Last night's dream came to an abrupt end when she saw the old lady, interrupted by Yu Fang calling her up. Before dawn, she began washing her hair and bathing, all in preparation to go to the Chu residence

Ji Ling nodded

Su was somewhat troubled, but since her mother-in-law had spoken and it was a little girl raised under her care, Su could not say much. Thus, she nodded in agreement. "However, mother, you originally wanted to raise a little girl to keep you company and alleviate your boredom. Mr. Zhou has lectures to give in the morning and afternoon, and if Ling goes, she will have very little time to spend in Jiale Hall."

Thus, Yao Mama naturally had to choose what the old lady liked to hear, "She is truly charming and lively, and she is indeed from your maternal family, old lady. Just look at her appearance; she is no less than the young ladies in the mansion"

Alright, Yue Zhu, Ling is still young, so we can correct her gradually. The old lady, seeing Ji Ling's face turn as red as a crabapple, felt a bit reluctant as well

Shuzhen let out a soft "oh," recalling her aunt's words

For instance, when Ji Ling is at home, she often calls Yu Fang's second son "Second Brother," which frequently leads to laughter from the neighbors, who say she is calling him "Goose Brother." The little girl from the neighbor's house also does not call her Ji Daya, but instead gave her a nickname, and everyone on the street calls her "Goose Daya"

She has a slight rural accent, and when she arrives in the capital, she only feels comfortable speaking freely at Yu Fang's home; outside, she refrains from speaking whenever possible, fearing ridicule from the locals. People here, regardless of their wealth or poverty, possess a sense of superiority and often look down on those from other places, particularly enjoying making jokes about their accents

After finishing her hair, Yao Mama said to the old lady: "Ling girl is indeed a bit too quiet; it is truly rare for someone so young to enjoy tranquility like this. Unlike the several half-grown boys in my family, who shout so much that the roof is almost lifted off."

For some people, being quiet may be a good term, but Yao Mama knows that the old lady actually prefers lively young girls, to bring more vitality to the courtyard, while Ji Ling clearly cannot bring about such a change

Ji Ling's face turned red all of a sudden. She knew that she had many shortcomings, and the only reason the old lady agreed to keep her by her side was because of the old lady's kindness. Although she felt reluctant to part with Yu Fang, she was also very grateful to the old lady and had long made up her mind to be filial to her for a lifetime

Upon hearing the praises from Yao Mama, Ji Ling could only smile shyly, not knowing how to seize the moment to say a few pleasing words. Although she was still young, she had already begun to dislike her own appearance. From the conversations of the adults, she had subtly understood that if it were not for her relatively decent looks, her aunt would not have been compelled to send her to the Chu family.

The young ladies mentioned by Yao Mama are the few granddaughters of the old lady. Madam Su and Madam Zhang cherish their legitimate daughters dearly, unwilling to send them to the old lady's side for upbringing. As for the illegitimate daughters, in order to manage those concubines, they are also kept confined at home, making it impossible to send them to the old lady. If they were to catch the old lady's eye, wouldn't that overshadow even the legitimate daughters?

Ji Ling was sitting somewhat stiffly; if she were still at her aunt's house, she would have completed at least ten tasks by now. However, in the old lady's life, she had merely just finished a series of morning rituals. Ji Ling tilted her head and thought, how different people can be.

It is not acceptable for a girl to be illiterate. Although a young lady should primarily focus on virtue, she must also learn to read and write; otherwise, she will lack understanding of the world. Several of your sisters are currently studying at school; would you be willing to join them in your studies

The old lady asked Ji Ling again, "When you were at home, did you know how to read?"

The elderly lady surveyed Ji Ling with satisfaction and said to Yao Mama, who was attending to her hair, "What do you think?"

"What a lovely and charming girl, she surpasses everyone in our family," Mrs. Su remarked with a smile as soon as she entered. The beauty of Ji Ling truly astonished the Su family, yet for a young lady, one cannot solely rely on looks. When it comes to temperament, Ji Ling falls far short compared to the third young lady, Jingzhen. In Mrs. Su's eyes, Ji Ling is completely incomparable to Jingzhen, even if she were raised under the old lady's care. Thus, she is more than happy to say flattering words, which are naturally directed towards the old lady.

"If it's just to pass the time, can't we find a girl to tell stories? Why should I bother raising a young girl?" The old lady said: "But in our family, with some surplus funds, we can help our relatives a little. I consider this a way of doing good and accumulating blessings, isn't it for Ah Shi and the others?"

Nan Hui went immediately

Beside Ji Ling, the old lady assigned her a second-class maid named Qian Mian. Ji Ling suddenly recalled a line of poetry she had never read before: "By the willow's edge, smoke veils the soft grass, on the embankment, the grass lies in slumber." She couldn't help but thump her head, feeling quite puzzled as to why a poem she had never heard of would suddenly come to mind

In an instant, the old lady's Jialetang became lively and bustling.

The elderly lady combed her hair, changed into a new set of clothes, and had a little snack; by then, it was already 2:30 PM.

Ji Ling wanted to say that she had just taken a shower in the morning, but upon seeing Qian Mian's serious face, she found herself at a loss for words. She had no choice but to step back into the bathtub

Yao Mama has been serving beside the old lady since she was young. Later, she married into the Lu family and gave birth to Lu Huai Tu, also serving in the Chu residence, managing affairs in the outer courtyard. Although Yao Mama is now older and no longer serves directly beside the old lady, she makes it a point to visit the main house every couple of days, fearing that the old lady might forget her. She holds a favorable position in front of the old lady, and her son and daughter-in-law can also speak on matters in the Chu residence.

In fact, although they are referred to as old clothes, since the elderly lady has recently taken in a young girl, the third young lady, Chu Jingzhen, cannot truly give Ji Ling old garments. Moreover, for people of their status, the clothes they have worn are far more refined than those that have never been worn. Therefore, what Ji Ling receives are the new clothes that Chu Jingzhen did not have the chance to wear at the time.

"Young lady, please take a bath," Qian Mian said to Ji Ling

Ji Ling nodded busily, and then suddenly remembered, quickly saying: "Yes, Da Ya, A Ling understands."

A group of young women curiously looked at Ji Ling, who was sitting next to the elderly lady as they entered the room

If the old lady feels empty beneath her knees, she still has to go outside to find a distant relative's young girl to raise. However, Mrs. Ji is actually willing to go outside to find one, to avoid the chaos at home that resembles a fight between chickens.

Ji Ling shook her head

The old lady said, "This is your cousin Ji, who will be living in our home from now on"

Understanding the old lady's intentions, the Su family immediately took action. In no time, they opened the treasury and found four pieces of fabric for Ji Ling to make clothes. Additionally, all other necessary items were also prepared, from hand fans to basins and spittoons, everything was considered thoroughly. As for the writing materials for school, there was no need to mention them; they were all prepared in accordance with the four young ladies of the Chu family, who were known for their virtue, grace, and propriety.

Yao Mama interjected, "A Ling, when the old lady asks a question, do not just nod or shake your head; you must say whether it is so or not."

Currently, there are four young ladies in the residence. The second daughter of the second branch, Chu Zhenzhen, and the third daughter of the first branch, Chu Jingzhen, are both legitimate offspring. The fifth daughter, Wan Zhen, and the sixth daughter, Shu Zhen, are born of concubines.

Ji Ling felt that she was already quite clean. In the morning, she was afraid of not being clean enough and being laughed at when she arrived at the Chu residence, so she washed herself with great care and effort. However, Qian Mian seemed dissatisfied and vigorously scrubbed her entire body with a loofah cloth, not sparing even the spaces between her toes and fingers. Ji Ling's skin was almost rubbed off, turning a bright red like freshly steamed shrimp, yet she endured it all without uttering a word of pain.

The old lady had naturally noticed the accent in Ji Ling's speech, but she did not point it out. However, Yao Mama was not so polite, saying, "You have a bit of an accent; this must be corrected. Otherwise, when the old lady takes you out to visit, it will be a source of embarrassment."

The matter of the old lady adopting a young girl today had long been known to the esteemed Madam Su. If she were still unaware of it now, it would mean that her management of the household for over a decade had been in vain. Therefore, when Nan Hui went to invite her, she gave a few brief instructions to the maids and servants beside her before coming to the Jia Le Hall

"Do you find it boring?" the old lady asked Ji Ling.

After taking a shower, wringing out her hair, changing into a clean new outfit, and styling her hair into a double-loop bun, Ji Ling finally appeared before the elderly lady who had just woken up from her nap, looking quite beautiful.