Chapter 18 Part 1: Asking around

Jiang second miss’s birth mother, Ye Zhen Zhen, had married into Jiang family for no less than three years, but it was only after Jiang Yuan Bai’s tongfang1 gave birth to his eldest shu daughter that she conceived Jiang Li. A pity, Ye Zhen Zhen’s life was not good. After giving birth to Jiang Li, her health deteriorated day after day and left after half a year. Jiang Yuan Bai considered finding someone to take care of the young girl, so not long after he took Ji Shuran to enter the door as his wife.

The original courtyard where Ye Zhen Zhen used for recuperating was precisely this Fang Fei Garden.

Jiang Yuan Bai was a scholar. However, as a scholar, he had great ambitions and climbed up for power, and his literati’s natural pedantic character was also a bit polluted. For example, Jiang Yuan Bai was fond of flaunting his noble and virtuous character, but didn’t like vulgarity. Ye Zhen Zhen was born from a merchant family and always liked prosperous and lively things. So when growing flowers, she wanted those splendid and beautiful flowers. Yet Jiang Yuan Bai liked things like pure white lotus and green jade bamboo.

Ji Shuran was able to adapt and her means were acting gentle, graceful and subdued. Thus she disdained going to this Fang Fei Garden. Now that Jiang Li returned home, whether it was intentionally or not, she gave the courtyard where her birth mother recuperated to her.

The deeper they went in, the worse the place looked. In the first branch, this courtyard was the most remote and separated courtyard, far away from other sisters and brothers. No need to even mention Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Yuan Bai. Naturally, it wouldn’t be close to them. Yet, to reside in her birth mother’s recuperating courtyard, would Jiang second miss felt longing or perhaps upset or even go as far as become furious?

Tong’er worries disappeared when she saw Jiang Li’s actions.

Jiang Li didn’t seem distressed, also didn’t seem angry. Aside from being startled when she saw the three characters Fang Fei Garden, afterward, she had always shown an undisturbed expression. Sun momo was completely astonished and immediately left after hurriedly explaining in a few sentences.

Only Jiang Li and Tong’er remained in the room. Since they had returned to Jiang residence, Yu Xiang had also returned to Chengde Minister’s residence, to Madam Liu’s side. Before leaving, Jiang Li had entrusted Yu Xiang to send her gratitude to Madam Liu. She would personally go to visit and express her thanks on another day.

The room could still be regarded as clean. Although Ye Zhen Zhen had previously instructed the people to plant various kinds of flowers and plants on Fang Fei Garden, this courtyard had currently been abandoned for so many years, so apart from having removed the weeds, the rest had grown wild so this big garden looked especially desolate.

Tong’er looked at Jiang Li and hesitated for a while. Still, she opened her mouth to ask: “Young lady, does your heart feel uncomfortable?”

“This courtyard is very good.” Jiang Li looked in all directions, “very big and very peaceful.” She didn’t seem to take Tong’er’s apprehension to heart. Rather, when she saw the abandoned decorative flower bed, she thought seriously for a moment before speaking: “Because there weren’t any flowers before, there are little wild plants all around. But it’s okay, we have stayed in Mount Qingcheng for a few years so we are very familiar with looking after flowers and plants. One of these days, go and find some flower seeds for us to plant in the garden. It will be more lively in the days to come.”

Tong’er listened and was happy, “Young lady’s words are right. We planted grains while in Mount Qingcheng, flowers and plants are all the same kind. This garden is so big, if we grow flowers here, it will definitely look very good.” She felt ever since Jiang Li had the thrilling experience of falling into the water and survived, since she awoke, she had become more tolerable day by day. Perhaps, it really was Marquis Ningyuan’s matter that had stimulated Jiang Li. Nowadays, Jiang Li’s behavior followed the rules and regulations, her resolution strong. This was probably what old man Chang had said before, “broken then rise again”.

“Our coming days will be like this garden, blossoming. Day by day will be lively. Day by day will be good.” Tong’er said sincerely.

Jiang Li laughed. She wanted to grow flowers in the garden, not due to the scenery, also wasn’t because she wished her life would be brimming with hope. Rather, she did these things to attract other people and make them pay attention. Let people know that Jiang second miss wasn’t someone who could be thrown away in a corner to pile up dust and be forgotten.

Just like growing flowers, the matters that followed would also be done this way.

She wasn’t prepared to be an unknown honorable young lady.

In the evening, Fang Fei Garden became lively. Earlier, Ji Shuran arranged for a dressmaker to come over to measure Jiang Li for clothes. In the doorway of the Jiang residence at noon before, the words Jiang Li spoke in the presence of everyone, no matter how, Ji Shuran wasn’t able to revert them. In order to show that this stepmother was magnanimous and retrieve the shattered image, Ji Shuran naturally had to put down some effort and made a few really luxurious clothes for Jiang Li.

Not only that, Ji Shuran also sent a small box of jewelry. Old madam Jiang also sent someone to deliver some silvers over. Compared to jewelry, the silver that old madam Jiang sent was actually more practical. At this time, Jiang Li had nothing in her hand, no silver at all. At this Jiang residence, she couldn’t send anyone out to handle matters.

Jiang Yuan Bai also came for a while and saw that Fang Fei Garden’s layout could still be regarded as satisfactory and nodded his head. He spoke a few words, but both the father and daughter felt, after not meeting for many years, that their feelings were quite weak, and he left soon.

Waiting until the time where the lamps were lit up, the two servant girls that Ji Shuran was going to send, Xiang Qiao and Yun Shuang, finally came.

These two were the servant girls said by Ji Shuran to be “sensible and clever”, at this moment, were standing in front of Jiang Li and paying their respects to her.