Seventh Lady is the legitimate daughter, inheriting her mother's generous and decisive nature. Although Miss Ten is born of a concubine, she is intelligent and studious, earning the reputation of a talented girl at a young age.
The two sisters take great care of their younger sister, Thirteenth Lady, who also holds them in high regard. The main household is quite calm and harmonious, thanks to Mistress Qin.
The three sisters have plenty to talk about along the way. Although Susu does not speak much, her timely acknowledgment keeps the conversation from going cold.
Each household's courtyard has a back door leading to a pathway, and the main household's courtyard is not far from the Old Madam's Rongle Hall.
After exiting the back door and walking along a pathway, they reach a winding corridor, and passing through an east-west hall brings them to the Old Madam's courtyard. Upon entering the room, the other wives from various households were already there with their daughters and daughters-in-law.
The Old Madam had already eaten and didn't require the service of her daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law. She was currently entertaining the young niece from the second eldest brother's family.
In this setting, Ruan Susu also met the eldest brother and his wife, the latter being a County Mistress, not much older than Mistress Qin, and their son was already Susu's age. Mistress Qin did not require daily courtesies from her.
Everyone greeted the Old Madam and then took their seats according to their rank and status. The County Mistress turned her eyes toward Susu, saying with surprise, "Thirteenth Sister, you have recovered! But your little face looks even thinner, poor thing, Aunt Su left too soon."
As she spoke, she made a show of taking out a handkerchief to wipe away tears, which made Susu sick to her stomach. She normally didn't interact with Susu, a child of a concubine, yet now she was using her as a tool for a power play against Mistress Qin!
Susu stood up, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law. Although I nourish myself with bird's nest and snow clams daily, unfortunately, my digestion is weak, and these aren't of much benefit. It seems that the good things Grandmother and Mother send are wasted on me."
Her voice remained soft, and her head was slightly lowered, yet there was no fault to be found in her words, which even complimented Grandmother and Legitimate Mother. This caused everyone present to lament how different it is for a child without a mother.
The County Mistress smiled awkwardly, having nothing else to say.
The Old Madam picked up the conversation, giving her granddaughter-in-law a chance to save face, "In our household, eating bird's nest is not a waste. Grandmother still has some here, and will give it to you later."
Susu thanked her grandmother, and the conversation among the women turned to making clothes and creating new jewelry for autumn, continuing until they dispersed.
The girls went to the family schoolroom, but Susu returned to the main household with Mistress Qin due to her health and carried a box of premium bird's nest given by the Old Madam.
Susu had never eaten this in her previous life, and after eating it for half a month in this life, she didn't find it particularly tasty. But since everyone said it was good, she might as well eat it. Anyway, the Duke's Mansion truly wasn't short of such precious items.
Upon returning to the main house, Mistress Qin gave her another box of bird's nest and a box of jewelry, "These are little trinkets I wore when I was young, take them and play with them!"
Seeing Susu was hesitant to accept, Mistress Qin smiled and said, "I sorted through several boxes. Both your sisters have theirs, and this one is for you, Thirteenth Lady. Your aunt was most worried about you before she passed, so you must take care of yourself!"
Susu and Cui Jin returned to Jingchen Residence, followed by two maids carrying the bird's nest and jewelry boxes. After giving each maid a handful of large coins as a tip, Susu sat on the warm couch by the window and opened the two palm-sized boxes.
Inside were a pearl flower made of Dragon Eye Pearls, a Floral Bird Comb carved from ivory, a jade bracelet, a small phoenix hairpin in red gold inlaid with jewels, and more than a dozen exquisite pieces of jewelry.
Cui Jin held up a pair of enamel golden flower basket earrings and marveled, "It's often said that Duke Zhen's Mansion controls the royal family's sea trade, and the gold in the household is enough to build a golden house, which seems to be true. Even though our madam is merely a concubine's daughter, the jewelry she collected in her youth is so precious!"
As a modern woman who would deliberate for a month before buying a gold necklace, Susu had never seen such things. She hadn't had the chance to see her aunt's relics and her own belongings before, as she spent the past half month filled with grief, fear, and uncertainty.
Looking at these items, Susu felt a sense of relief. Judging by her Legitimate Mother's demeanor, it seemed unlikely she would be stingy with the dowry of a concubine's daughter in the future.
Though Susu had no desire for a blind marriage or silent wifehood, ancient times were such that one couldn't do as they pleased. Susu did not wish for great wealth or prestige, but with the Duke's Mansion as her backing, her future life shouldn't be too difficult, right?
The thought of a future where she could simply enjoy life made Susu smile. Traveling through time seemed quite advantageous. But reality gave Susu, who was filled with hope for the future, a resounding slap.