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Marriage of the Di Daughter Chapter 131 Part 2: Aunt
No matter what, she still had to visit Xue Huaiyuan every day.
Jiang Yuanbai watched her every move coldly, Jiang Li knew that her actions made Jiang Yuan Bai displeased, but she didn’t care at the moment, she couldn’t leave her biological father alone.
As she was going to the Ye residence, Jiang Li ran into an unfamiliar madam in the corridor.
The madam was not young, it could be seen from her features that she was graceful in her youth. She was not dressed like a servant, neither was she dressed gorgeously, with only one servant girl beside her. She looked extremely ordinary, so flat like a pool of stagnant water that had been silent for many years, not a slightest color could be stirred.
They met in the corridor and the madam’s servant girl greeted Jiang Li, “Second miss.”Only then did the madam slowly look at Jiang Li, followed by a soft call, “Second miss.”
Jiang Li looked at her carefully, the other party remained the same, without any fluctuation, as if thousands of years had pa.s.sed without any sorrow and joy, and there was nothing on earth that concerned her. Jiang Li called, “Aunt Hu.”
Aunt Hu, the only concubine in the main branch. Although the Jiang family was rich and powerful, the interior was not as harmonious as seen on the outside, there was a point that Jiang Li felt pretty good. Even if the Jiang family had several sons, Jiang Yuan Bai, Jiang Yuan Ping, and the concubine-born Jiang Yuan Xing, they only had sons born out of the primary wives. Even if there were concubines, they did not bear any sons. It was said that old master Jiang favored his concubine and had a son out of her, which was Jiang Yuan Xing. Because of this, he did many confused things. Old madam Jiang was disgusted with the favored concubine and was not fond of Jiang Yuan Xing. It did not stop at this, in addition, she changed the custom of the family lintel and did not allow sons to be born out of concubines.
And Aunt Hu was the only concubine in the entire Jiang residence who gave birth to a child.
Originally, Aunt Hu was the servant girl beside old madam Jiang. As her master, old madam Jiang gave her to Jiang Yuan Bai. Later, Ye Zhen Zhen had been married for three years but did not bear any sons, yet the bed-warmer servant girl was pregnant first. At first, old madam Jiang wanted to give this servant girl a bowl of soup to abort the fetus, but Ye Zhen Zhen was softhearted and pleaded for her to let the child be born.
The baby born was a daughter, which was the Jiang family’s eldest miss. Soon after, Jiang Li was born. The bed-warmer servant girl became a concubine. It was said that Aunt Hu did not fight over nor s.n.a.t.c.h, behaved very well, and got along well with Ye Zhen Zhen. Ye Zhen Zhen died soon after giving birth to Jiang Li, and Aunt Hu was in low spirits for a while.
Afterwards, Ji Shuran entered the door. When Jiang Li was two years old, the eldest miss was playing on the rockery in the garden, fell down due to carelessness and could not be saved. From then on, Aunt Hu was grieving day and night, nearly becoming hysterical. All day long, she stayed in the garden, holding a pillow and singing nursery songs, almost never appearing in front of anyone. The old madam recalled the many years of master and servant relationship and found a servant girl to wait upon her. Anyway, the Jiang family was not short of this silver, treating it as adding another pair of chopsticks, and it did not hinder anything.
Aunt Hu looked at Jiang Li and slightly lowered her head.
A trace of doubt flashed in Jiang Li’s heart. Everyone said Aunt Hu was slightly hysterical, Jiang Li had only seen her once from afar during a family banquet. Now that she had seen her from up close, although this Aunt Hu looked dull, her eyes were not muddy like those madmen. This was different from Xue Huaiyuan, she was erratic but still sober.
Jiang Li pondered for a while and suddenly said, “The sun is shining very nicely today, this place does not seem far from Aunt Hu’s courtyard. Aunt Hu, I’ll go to your place to sit, you should not refuse, right?”
Several people were stunned.
Bai Xue and Tong’er did not understand, Jiang Li and Aunt Hu did not have any contact, Aunt Hu was like a transparent figure in the Jiang residence. Why would Jiang Li take the initiative to make friends with Aunt Hu?
The maids beside Aunt Hu were also surprised. Perhaps they were accustomed to living a lonely life in the Jiang residence, aside from the old madam’s people, practically no one seemed to remember them. Even Jiang Yuan Bai had probably forgotten that there was this concubine. However, Jiang Li’s manner was amiable, with a smile on the corner of her lips, making it hard for people to refuse.
Jiang Li just smiled and looked at Aunt Hu.
After a while, Aunt Hu softly said, “Okay.”
Aunt Hu’s courtyard was even worse than Jiang Li’s “Fang Fei Courtyard”. At least after going through some things, Ji Shuran did not dare to treat Fang Fei Courtyard so severely on the surface. However, for Aunt Hu’s courtyard, Jiang Li could only say if she did not know Aunt Hu, she would probably doubt whether this courtyard was given for a concubine to live or for the servant to live.
In other words, the servant girls beside Ji Shuran and Jiang You Yao lived in a more comfortable place than Aunt Hu. This courtyard was small, but it had a feeling of desolation. There was no place for decorations to be placed. In the room, all the property amounted to a bed, a table and a few chairs.
Aunt Hu’s servant girl went to prepare tea for Jiang Li. Jiang Li saw that there were only two tea cups and a teapot with a missing mouth. As for snacks on the table, there were none.
The servant was a little embarra.s.sed, but Aunt Hu was very calm, as if she did not think that there was anything wrong. She had an indifferent and light appearance, Jiang Li thought that she looked more like a nun than the nuns in Mount Qingcheng. Without any desire nor demands, as if she was about to leave with the wind in the next moment.
“Aunt Hu, this place is really cold.” Jiang Li said, “During winter days, why did you not burn charcoal?”
The servant seemed to have finally found a person who could speak up for them, she looked so wronged and her tears almost came out as she said, “The slave and maids went to the kitchen to ask for charcoal, but the charcoal they gave was damp. Even after they were dried and burnt inside the house, it was the lowest grade charcoal and the smoke produced caused people to cough….. Second miss, if you pity our aunt, please go to the kitchen to say something. Our aunt has gotten frostbites many times this winter and there’s an old injury on her knees.”
Jiang Li said, “Why didn’t you look for mother? The management of the household is in mother’s hands. This little thing, mother will decide for you.”
The servant girl was suddenly silent, Aunt Hu said, “It doesn’t matter, it’s become a habit, I am not cold.”
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