Chapter 20: The Heart of the Fourth Girl

  Taizhou, which had just experienced a heavy snowfall, finally cleared up. The sun shone on my body, and it actually felt warm. Although the cold was unusual, it couldn't stop the children's enthusiasm for playing in the snow. Snowball fights and building snowmen were the kids' favorite games. In groups of three or five, they laughed and chased each other, creating a lively atmosphere.

  The world of adults is relatively quiet and dull, although the snow is white and silver, it has a unique charm, but they seem to prefer the spring breeze and willow trees, the season of flowers and brocade.

  In a warm pavilion of the Qin Mansion, Fang Wanru was holding a letter and staring blankly.

  Go or not go?

  If you go, how will you explain Miss Three's inability to come?

  If she didn't go, wouldn't she be missing another chance to get close to the Jia family? Fang Wanru was torn for a moment. Recently, the mansion had been plagued by one thing after another. First, it was the news of Su Niang's pregnancy that broke the temporary peace in the mansion. Then Qin Fengge returned to her natal home. This cousin of hers was nothing but trouble waiting to happen.

  Not yet had she caught her breath, when the incident of Su's miscarriage occurred, and she was worried and exhausted, not to mention being scolded by Master. He said that if she had knocked on each courtyard in time, this wouldn't have happened. When things go smoothly, he's happy, but when something happens, he lets her take the blame. Fang Wanru really couldn't swallow this.

  Although it has not been investigated who is behind the scenes so far, fortunately, there are no surprises or dangers, only Su escaped by luck, but it was not what she wanted to see.

  The notice of Jia's mansion.

  Fang Wanru took another look at the post and couldn't help but rub her eyebrows.

  Xiaoyao knocked on the screen, but it was Haitang who came in to report: "Madam, Fourth Miss requests an audience."

  "Let her in!" Fang Wan put the notice on a low table beside him and took a sip of tea.

  The curtain was lifted, and a person like a peach blossom walked in, wearing a pink silk jacket, a same-colored skirt, and a white fox fur-lined cloak with white trim on the outside. On her feet were a pair of thick-soled silver satin boots.

  The fourth young lady was extremely beautiful, even more so than Qin Daihe. Her lips were red and her teeth were white, her skin as fair as snow. Unfortunately, she had a pair of peach blossom eyes that added a hint of worldly flavor to her appearance, which immediately discounted her value.

  "Mother." Fourth Miss Qin Ruoxin bowed and stood obediently aside.

  Fang Wanru had someone bring her a three-legged stool. "It's so cold outside, why don't you wear more clothes?"

  "My daughter left her raincoat outside." Qin Ruoxin smiled slightly, looking a bit shy.

  Fang Wanru thought to herself: Fang and Xiaosan are completely different, one is reckless in words and deeds, has a bad temper, and lacks brains; the other is cautious in words and deeds, timid, and observant. In the end, it's the latter that people like more, even if she gets married far away, she still has to rely on her natal family, and is easy to control.

  "The weather is cool, take care of yourself." The words didn't have any warmth, but they also showed the attitude a stepmother should have. Strictly speaking, all the daughters in this mansion, regardless of whether they were born to her or not, are her children, and she should treat them with equal kindness and impartiality.

  "My daughter is frugal." Qin Ruoxin glanced at the invitations on the table and asked, "I suppose the various manors have invited Mother to admire the plum blossoms again? It seems a bit early this year, though."

  Fang Wanru took a glance at her, picked up the invitation and said: "It's an invitation from the Jia family, saying that this year's plum blossoms are blooming early, and they're inviting our family's ladies to go and join in the fun."

  "This is great, Mother has been working hard lately, and hasn't had an easy time with Aunt Su's affairs. It's good for her to get out and take a walk." Qin Ruoxin still looked timid, with a hint of shyness in his smile.

  He is well-behaved.

  Fang Wanru thought for a moment and said: "The date is set for the day after tomorrow. You'd better get ready, you're coming with us too!"

  Qin Ruoxi felt uneasy and tugged at her clothes, asking: "Mother is going to the Jia residence, with elder sister and second sister accompanying her. If Aunt comes along to add some fun, that's fine too. But what if daughter hasn't seen much of the world and loses face for the manor?"

  "We have a single heir in our family, and your father is the only son of Old Madam. I'm also lonely most of the time, with no sisters-in-law or aunts to keep me company. When we visit other estates, I can only bring you few children along. Your elder sister married far away, it's hundreds of miles round trip, and little three is ill, if you don't go, won't your mother be left alone again?"

  Qin Ruoxin covered her face and smiled, saying: "That girl will really go, follow your mother to see the world tomorrow morning."

  Fang Wanru said a few more good words, and the atmosphere in the house became slightly more harmonious. After chatting for a while, Fang Wanru quietly picked up her tea cup, Qin Ruoxin saw this, hastily got up to bid farewell, bowed, and then exited the warm pavilion.

  Qin Ruoxin took the cloak handed over by Yaotou, and let the servant help her put it on carefully. Only then did she leave Fang Wanyu's flower hall, treading on the thick white snow, walking towards her own courtyard.

  Qin Ruoxin's face was as calm as water, and her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with calculating light, where was there any hint of shyness?

  This government is the most ruthless place, where people are eaten alive and their bones are not spat out. If you treat others with sincerity, you will probably die in the end without knowing the reason. Fang's methods are the most cunning, if you don't pretend to be innocent and naive, how can you make her put down her guard against you?

  Jia's family appreciates plum blossoms?

  Qin Ruoxi let out a cold snort, who could say this wasn't an opportunity given by heaven itself?

  As she walked through the corridor to her own courtyard, Qin Ruoxin was thinking about tomorrow's trip to the Jia Mansion. Fang Wanru was determined to marry Qin Qianqian into the Jia family, and tomorrow's visit to the Jia Mansion would naturally make her the protagonist. She had to dress modestly so as not to steal the spotlight, only then could she put the minds of the mother and daughter at ease. Lin Qingyue should also be going, and as long as she found an excuse, she could slip out alone to take care of things...

  Fang Wanru, I will also let you taste the feeling of being framed.

  Thinking of this, Qin Ruoxin changed her mind and said to Yingxue behind her: "Go see Auntie!" She hadn't been there for a long time and didn't know if Auntie knew what she meant by doing so.

  Xing Xue nodded, she was already used to her master's ability to change his face faster than flipping a book. One moment he might be scolding someone with a stern face, the next moment he could be whimpering with tears and a look of grievance on his face. And it was precisely because she followed such a master that she had to practice her own skill of being cunning and adaptable.

  Just as the two were about to pass by the rockery and head towards Wang's courtyard, they saw a group of people rushing this way from afar. A small sedan chair with a cyan canopy was approaching from a distance, and gradually, the appearance of the person inside the sedan became clear.

  At the age of fifteen or sixteen, she was dressed with great care and elegance. The light green jacket made her face look even more delicate, and on her head, she wore a hairpin as big as a lotus seed, with a pair of bright red agate ornaments that shone like snow and dazzled her eyes. Not to mention the green jade necklace that was exposed outside her clothes, and the ruby earrings set in gold that adorned her ears.

  "Miss, it's Second Miss." Yingxue whispered a reminder.

  "I'm not blind." In such a large mansion, how many people can wear these clothes?

  Ying Xue could only close her mouth in dismay. It's not easy being a servant these days, and it's even harder serving as the fourth young lady's maid!

  Qin Ruoxin put on a timid and shy expression, and went forward to greet him.

  The person in the sedan naturally saw her clearly, ordered someone to stop the sedan. However, he didn't get up, just smiled and asked: "Fourth sister, where are you going?"

  Qin Ruoxin made a curtsy towards the person in the sedan and said, "I just paid my respects to Mother and was about to return to my own courtyard. Second sister, what's this..."

  Qin Qianxin smiled and said to her, "I was just going to ask my mother for peace of mind, but I caught a slight cold, nothing serious. But the people around me kept nagging on and on, afraid that I would be blown away by the wind. So I might as well take advantage of it and follow their words to ride in a sedan chair." The tone was full of the pride of being the eldest daughter.

  Qin Ruoxin's face showed no signs of abnormality, and she said sincerely: "In that case, Second Sister should hurry up and go, lest the wind blows."

  Qin Qianxin was slightly stunned, then said: "Sister, you should also go back to the house soon, take care of yourself, and don't forget to make ginger soup for Fourth Miss when you get back, it will help dispel the cold."

  Ying Xue hastily bowed and replied.

  The two sisters exchanged polite words, each with their own concerns. Second Miss then instructed the sedan chair to head towards Fang Wanru's courtyard, while Qin Qianxin bowed slightly and watched as the small sedan chair disappeared into the distance.

  Being the daughter-in-law of the Jia family is not as easy as you think, now you rely on your status as the legitimate miss to show off in front of me, but one day, you will have your time to cry.

  Qin Ruoxin and her entourage walked along the winding path in the garden, twisting and turning until they arrived at Wang's residence, "Mei Garden".

  Standing at the gate, looking at the somewhat dilapidated garden, Qin Ruoxi's heart ached. Other madams might not be willing to live in such a garden, only Madam herself, constrained by her status, feared Master and Mistress, and carried that kind of bad reputation...

  "Miss, aren't you going in?" Xiangxue stepped forward and asked softly. She was one of the few people who could see her master's emotions, and now she stood at the gate, hesitant to go in or not, probably feeling uncomfortable inside.

  "Not going, returning." Qin Ruoxin's face was cold as she walked back, but in her heart, she secretly vowed that one day, everything they had lost would be returned to them twofold.

  P.S: Please leave your valuable comments~~