Chapter 90 Part 2: Uncle
Mentioning crabapple flowers, jiang Li suddenly recalled her personal servant girl, Hai Tang1. She didn’t know whether Bai Xue’s family in her hometown had heard any news about her. Jiang Li immediately asked: “Bai Xue, has your family sent any family letters recently?”
Bai Xue wiped the sweat from her forehead and said: “Not yet, miss. It’s currently the harvest season, so the family should be in the middle of the busy farming period. This servant thinks they probably have no time to write a letter. Wait until this period of time is over, the letter from home should arrive.”
Jiang Li nodded.
The few people were chatting casually when they suddenly saw the servant girl by the old madam’s side, Fei Cui, come over. Fei Cui did not enter the courtyard and stopped by Fang Fei Garden’s door. She smiled towards Jiang Li and said: “Second miss, old madam invites you to go to Wan Feng Hall.”
Bai Xue and Tong’er looked at each other. If there’s nothing to say, old madam Jiang would not look for Jiang Li. Jiang Li was not Jiang Bingji who would go to Wan Feng Hall to look for old madam Jiang to ask for snacks. Even if Jiang Li was willing to put down this face, being estranged for eight years, perhaps old madam Jiang would also feel ill at ease.
Tong’er asked in a clear voice: “Sister Fei Cui, why did the old madam look for our young lady to go to Wan Feng Hall? Did something happen in the residence?”
“Nothing like that.” Fei Cui smiled and said: “Just that there’s some visitors coming to the residence, thus asking second miss to sit together.”
Tong’er saw Fei Cui answering like so and let her heart down. Based on Fei Cui’s appearance and tone, old madam should not be looking for Jiang Li to criticize her. Jiang Li also had not done any mistakes.
With a glance, Jiang Li could make out the worry in Tong’er’s heart and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Even if old madam Jiang truly looked for her to criticize, it was also nothing. She could protect herself and retreat, and if the other party was really being unreasonable, it would probably just be forbidden to go out, that’s all.
That was really not a big deal.
She said to Fei Cui: “Sister Fei Cui, please wait a while for me. I’ll go and change clothes before we go.” Jiang Li returned inside and put on a robe before going together with Tong’er and Fei Cui to Wan Feng Hall.
There’s some distance between Fang Fei Garden and Wan Feng Hall, usually, one would always come across other people when going through this road. But nowadays, Jiang Yu’e was recuperating in the villa while Jiang You Yao was grounded. Jiang Yu Yan had a cowardly temper when she went out, thus they didn’t run into anyone along the road, which was overly smooth.
Jiang Li was very satisfied.
However, Fei Cui was pondering in her mind, this second miss stayed in the nunnery for eight years and has just returned to Yanjing for no more than half a year. The young ladies in the residence are in chaos, everything was vexing, only this Jiang second miss has her whole body withdrawn, not touching the splashed water. Not just that, her reputation even spread far and she got the reward of the emperor.
It’s really fengshui turning. At that time, after the second miss was banished to the temple, n.o.body thought that she would come back.
As a result, Fei Cui didn’t dare to underestimate this gentle-looking second miss. Respectful in terms of words and deeds, invisibly appearing much more deferential inside.
Jiang Li sensed the change in Fei Cui’s att.i.tude and smiled faintly without speaking. Stepping on the low and holding up the high was human nature. As a major official family, the Jiang family’s servants inside were also infected by the characters of bureaucrats, used to seeing the wind and rudders.
Not a good thing, but also not a bad thing.
At least, it created a lot of opportunities for her.
When they arrived in w.a.n.g Feng Hall, Fei Cui moved towards the door and smiled to the people inside as she said: “Old madam, the second miss is here.”
Jiang Li followed Fei Cui inside. When she entered, she saw a familiar young man sitting below old madam Jiang, his head slightly raised, appearing both somewhat ill at ease and proud.
Jiang Li’s footsteps paused, doubt in her heart. Ye Shijie, why is he here?
Towards this older male cousin, Jiang Li didn’t dare to say that she totally understood him, but she could figure out Ye Shijie’s nature. Previously, Ye Shijie spoke to Jiang Li with resentment in his speech, naturally he had no good impression towards the Jiang family. It should be known that Ye Shijie was studying in the Imperial College before, yet had never once visited the Jiang family. But today, to one’s surprise, Ye Shijie came openly and even sat under old madam Jiang. Based on old madam Jiang’s expression, they seem to be interacting pretty well.
Before Jiang Li could figure out clearly what was happening, she heard old madam Jiang speak amicably: “Second girl, come quickly and meet your uncle Ming Xuan.”
Jiang Li was stunned, uncle Ming Xuan?
Only then she clearly saw a middle aged man sitting beside Ye Shijie. This middle aged man was clothed in silver white, wore a silver crown, and a gold band on his waist. He looked like a scholar, but looked a bit wealthier than the normal scholar. He had a fair face, his figure was slender, and his expression was rather sharp.
He stood up, looked at Jiang Li and chuckled: “Ah Li has grown so big, I can no longer recognize you.”
Jiang Li was momentarily in a daze, this uncle Ming Xuan called her “Ah Li” and she vaguely thought that it was Xue Huaiyuan calling her “Ah Li”.
Ye Ming Xuan sized Jiang Li up, a trace of astonishment flash in his eyes.
Footnotes:
1: 海棠 hai tang translated to crabapple 1.:leftwards_arrow_with_hook: