Mei Qing Yuan was the courtyard where Zhao Mei used to live. Every blade of grass and every tree had been meticulously taken care of by Zhao Mei. The Fengshui master had also come to take a look. After Zhao Mei passed away, Ruan Ju was converted into Yan Hua Yuan, where Jiang Su Su and her daughter lived.
Wang momo, who led the way for Jiang Ruan, was one of Xia Yan's people. Her pair of shrewd triangular eyes kept sizing up Jiang Ruan and the others, and her mouth did not stop, "Eldest Miss does not know, but now that there is a new person in the courtyard, and Second Miss is getting on in years, she has also been allocated an independent courtyard. Now that there is a shortage of rooms, Eldest Miss's room was specially ordered by Furen, I do not know if Eldest Miss will like it."
As Lu Zhu walked, she looked around. Because she was a new servant girl, the surrounding servants only thought of her as a country girl who had not seen the world, and were curious about the Jiang fu.
When they reached a courtyard, Wang momo smiled and said, "This is it."
Jiang Ruan looked around. The courtyard was not big, but she did not have any servants around, so it was more than enough. The inside could be considered clean. When she pushed the door open and walked in, the room was clean and tidy, with all the usual furniture. It was many times better than the one in the estate.
Seeing this, Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and helped to arrange the luggage. Wang momo saw Jiang Ruan standing in the room, deep in thought, and moved closer to her with a smile, "Although this courtyard is a bit remote, it is peaceful. Fourth Miss's courtyard is not far from here. When you are free, Eldest Miss can also find a companion, so it will not be boring."
Jiang Dan? Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "I think this courtyard is not bad, thank Mother for me, but since this is the courtyard I live in, I also want to change the courtyard's name. I will have to trouble momo to pass on this to Mother for me."
Wang momo smiled in response, and Jiang Ruan walked out of the room to the courtyard's front door. Above the courtyard's door hung a plaque with three large words: "Fu Ping Courtyard."
What a good Fu Ping Courtyard! Xia Yan could indeed read people's minds. If these three ordinary words had appeared in her previous life, she would have been depressed for a long time. But now, this Fu Ping Courtyard should have another name.
In the evening, Wang momo came over again. Firstly, it was to pass on Xia Yan's message that since the courtyard had been given to her, she could change the name as she pleased. Secondly, it was because Jiang Quan and Jiang Chao had returned a little late today and would not be eating together. Thus, she was allowed to eat by herself.
The di daughter had returned to the mansion, but her father wasn't even willing to see her. One could imagine how cold he was. Hearing Wang momo's words, Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao's hearts turned cold. Currently, the person closest to Jiang Ruan in the Jiang fu was Jiang Quan, but now that Jiang Quan had slapped her in the face like this, Jiang Ruan's days in the future would be even more difficult than they had imagined.
While Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao were preoccupied with their own thoughts, Lu Zhu stood beside Jiang Ruan, who was writing, and said rather happily, "Miss' handwriting is really beautiful."
Two large characters were written on the snow-white rice paper: Ruan Ju. It was truly imposing. It was said that seeing the words was like seeing the person. The strokes of the words were smooth, yet there was a faint sharpness to it. It was as if she had hidden the melancholy in her heart under a calm appearance. At first glance, she looked as kind as water, but in fact, she was full of murderous intent.
"You can read?" Jiang Ruan asked Lu Zhu.
Lu Zhu shook her head, "I can't read, but this servant knows that Miss' handwriting is good."
Jiang Ruan laughed in spite of herself. Xia Yan, who was once the most talented woman in the Great Jin dynasty, had easily agreed to change the name of the courtyard. She appeared to be very magnanimous, but in reality, she wanted to see Jiang Ruan make a fool of herself. She wanted to change the words on the plaque, but she had just returned to the fu and did not have a single copper coin, so she could only write it herself. However, since she had entered the rural residence at the age of five, no one had taught her how to read and write. Everyone thought that she had long since become an idiot who could not read a single word. If she could really write it, who knew how to make a fool of herself.
Lu Zhu doubtfully asked, "Miss has never learned how to read in the rural residence, how did you learn?"
How did she learn? Jiang Ruan's gaze fell on the Xuan paper in front of her. In her previous life, she had also been taught by Xia Yan to become an idiot beauty. All she had learned was to play the zither and dance. So much so that whenever the common people of the Great Jin dynasty mentioned her, they would despise her and say, "That idiot beauty, ah, only knows the skills of a lowly singer. She's much worse than that talented younger sister of hers." Ever since she had been sent to the palace, there were countless women who were skilled in dancing and the zither. In order to gain favor, she had been forced to undergo many devil-like training. Among them, learning how to write had been personally taught by the Eighth Prince.
At that time, under the rain of petals, he had taught her how to hold a brush and write on the snow-white Xuan paper: "Exquisite sieve with red beans, deep in the bones of yearning, do you know these touching words?" Who would have thought that it was just a play?
Now, it seemed that she should thank the Eighth Prince. The Eighth Prince's handwriting was one of the most distinguished in the Great Jin dynasty. He had always said that her handwriting was soft and not firm enough, which was why she had ultimately lost her life. Now, her handwriting was still smooth and soft, but she did not know whether he could see the murderous intent within it.
Jiang Ruan smiled, picked up the Xuan paper from the table, blew on it, and handed it to Lu Zhu, "Frame it and mount it on the courtyard gate."
Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao looked at it and laughed, "Ruan Ju, what a good name. Miss's handwriting is so good, if only Eldest Young Master could see it." After saying this, they realized that they had said the wrong thing and looked at Jiang Ruan with some unease.
Jiang Ruan's gaze paused. When Zhao Mei had passed away, she had been sent to the rural residence. Jiang Xin Zhi had knelt in the ancestral hall for a day and a night, but in the end, he had not been able to change Jiang Quan's mind. In a fit of anger, Jiang Xin Zhi had thrown himself into the army camp. Before he left, he had repeatedly warned her that she must return home in glory so that no one would dare to bully her.
During those unbearably painful days, Jiang Xin Zhi had been her only pillar of support. Later, on a certain day in the rural residence, news came from the Jiang fu, but it was said that Jiang Xin Zhi had died on the battlefield, and not even his bones were left.
She suddenly remembered that in her previous life, when the news of his death came, it seemed to have happened two years later. Now, it was still two years ago. Could there still be a turning point? Thinking of this, Jiang Ruan suddenly became excited. If Jiang Xin Zhi was still alive, then she would not be alone in this world. But … How could she know whether Jiang Xin Zhi was still alive? And how could she reverse his fate?
Lian Qiao saw Jiang Ruan's tightly knitted brows, her expression unreadable, and worriedly asked, "Miss?"
"Lian Qiao, when Mother passed away, I was bedridden and did not know what was happening outside. I only knew that Eldest Brother had knelt in the ancestral hall for a day and a night. Later, Eldest Brother bid farewell to me. You and Bai Zhi were both outside. Let me ask you, do you know which military master Eldest Brother had pledged his allegiance to? "
Lian Qiao stared blankly and looked at Bai Zhi. She shook her head and said, "This, Eldest Young Master did not say, so this servant does not know either. However, this servant remembers very clearly that at that time, the Hu people were stirring up trouble at the border. The Chen family army and General Guan were both recruiting new soldiers, but I do not know which one it was."
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