The Jiao Courtyard was not only secluded but also very simple.
In fact, this place could hardly be called a courtyard. The perimeter was merely fenced off to create an independent space, with only two rooms inside. The central room served as the main room, and under the shade of several tall locust trees, it appeared particularly low and shabby.
Inside the house, there were no valuable furnishings. The only item of value was a small purple-gold incense burner on the corner of the table. The burner was engraved with intricate Sanskrit, clearly something brought back from a temple.
Perhaps due to the long-term burning of the same incense, even when it wasn’t lit, a faint sweet fragrance could still be smelled, resembling both fruit and medicinal scents.
In front of the couch were two small chests, hurriedly packed with items when returning from Chengyuan Temple. Biwu hadn’t set these things up, saying, “People from Muqiu Courtyard will be coming in a few days, and then we will move back.”
Ji Yuluo looked at her, clearly unaware of this, and asked, “We’re moving back?”
Biwu nodded and said, “It’s the old madam’s decision. It makes sense too, with you getting married next month. It wouldn’t be appropriate to leave from such a remote corner.”
After all, the Ji family still cared about appearances.
She then sighed softly, “I never thought we’d be going back like this.”
Muqiu Courtyard, mentioned by Biwu, was the main courtyard of the Ji residence. The reason she said “going back” was because she and her mistress had lived there before.
For a legitimate daughter, living in the main courtyard was only reasonable.
However, when the young mistress was about eight years old, she accidentally broke a cup. The cup was ordinary and not valuable, but the lady of the house was furious and punished her with several days of kneeling.
In the past, the lady had never treated the young mistress well, but that day was particularly terrifying. Even young Biwu still remembered the lady’s fierce, almost predatory eyes.
As a result, the young mistress developed a high fever.
This illness wouldn’t have been serious, but it also caused the Third Miss, who often came to play with her, to catch a cold. The lady was furious and moved the young mistress to Jiao Courtyard, sending an old maid to look after her. From then on, she never mentioned bringing her back.
The old maid couldn’t bear the hardships and left within two months.
Later, Biwu tried to find out more but was always met with vague responses. She thought they’d never return to Muqiu Courtyard in this lifetime, yet who would have expected such a twist of fate…
While Biwu was lamenting the capriciousness of life, she didn’t see any sorrow on her mistress’s face. Ji Yuluo simply nodded lightly and said, “That’s fine.”
Then she leisurely pulled out a medical book from one of the chests.
The pages of these books were yellowed and looked old, probably two or three years old, all gifts from Jingchen Master from Chengyuan Temple. The inscription “Ji Yuyao” on the title page was written elegantly and neatly, with a gentle and refined touch in every stroke.
The book was filled with many annotations, showing the owner’s dedication. On the blank pages, many prescriptions for relieving headaches were copied.
Headaches were an old ailment of Lin Chan.
These were all remedies collected for Lin Chan, showing her filial piety.
As Ji Yuluo looked at the small characters on the page, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of disdain. She was about to tear the page out when the door creaked open abruptly.
Along with it came the delicate yet anxious voice of a young girl: “Sister, Sister!”
The beaded curtain was lifted with a clatter and then fell back down abruptly.
Ji Yuluo looked up to see a girl in a goose-yellow brocade dress rushing in, still damp from the rain. Her immature face looked green and tender, her rabbit-like eyes were brimming with tears, her face streaked with tears, looking extremely pitiful.
It was Ji Xianyu.
She immediately grabbed Ji Yuluo, spun her around twice, and cried, “Let me see, let me see. Sister, you’re so weak, how have you been in the Hall of Reflection? Were you hungry? Were you cold? You’ve… you’ve gotten so thin…”
The last word dragged out in a sob, her sorrow almost overflowing.
Ji Yuluo calmly withdrew her hand and said, “It’s not that bad. It’s raining outside, why did you run here? What if you catch a cold?”
Ji Xianyu held her hand again, crying, “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault. Sister, you were in trouble, and I couldn’t help. I begged Mother, but she got even angrier and confined me to my room. I couldn’t think of any other way… I’m sorry, Sister.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head, her tears falling like broken beads.
The girl looked frail, but she had a strong grip, holding onto Ji Yuluo tightly.
Ji Yuluo had no choice but to relent, speaking gently, “How could this be your fault? Besides… it’s my fault that your engagement was affected.”
Ji Xianyu wiped her tears and choked out, “Nonsense! I don’t care about any engagement. I only want you to be well. Besides, this wasn’t your intention. I know you best, Sister. You’re not like what others say. Everyone knows that Huo Xian is wicked and has conflicts with Father. He must have intentionally caused this!”
She clenched her fists indignantly as she spoke.
The young girl’s eyes were bright and full of concern for her sister.
This third sister had been doted on by Lin Chan since she was a child, yet she didn’t inherit any of Lin Chan’s arrogance or unreasonableness. She was kind and sincere to everyone, and especially good to her legitimate sister, Ji Yuyao.
Ji Yuluo showed appropriate gratitude and said, “I understand your feelings, but does Mother know you’re here today? Be careful she doesn’t punish you again.”
Lin Chan didn’t like them getting too close. She always said that Ji Yuyao’s fate was ill-starred and would implicate Ji Xianyu, thus obstructing their relationship in every way.
But Ji Xianyu didn’t care and said, “I just heard Mother instruct someone to have you move back. The nanny should be on her way. I just got here a bit faster to inform you. I’ll go back with you soon.”
With that, she began to sob again, “Sister, you’ve suffered so much…”
Her pretty face wrinkled up like a bun. Ji Yuluo was on the verge of losing her composure from her crying, almost twitching her lips, but fortunately, this didn’t last long. Just as Ji Xianyu had said, the nanny sent by Lin Chan arrived.
Ji Xianyu finally stopped crying, and Ji Yuluo eagerly took her chests and moved back to Muqiu Courtyard.
The maid led her through the gate, but it wasn’t to Ji Yuyao’s old room. Instead, it was to a separate courtyard attached to Muqiu Courtyard. The young ladies, once grown, were expected to live separately. Only Ji Xianyu, not yet of age, still lived under Lin Chan’s watchful eye.
Although this separate courtyard was much more spacious than Jiao Courtyard, it had been unoccupied for a long time and was covered in fallen leaves. The people in the courtyard, influenced by Lin Chan, were very cold towards Ji Yuluo, simply saying, “The tasks in front of the madam are heavy, and the sisters are too busy to help. The maids around the eldest miss seem clever enough; they should be able to handle these small matters.”
Ji Yuluo smiled silently, facing the maid’s somewhat impatient demeanor, and sensibly said, “Of course, serving Mother is more important. I’m fine here.”
The maid left with a mocking smile, her head held high in satisfaction.
Biwu, on the other hand, looked dejected. This courtyard was neither too big nor too small, but tidying it up would be quite laborious. Yet, she didn’t dare to command the servants of Muqiu Courtyard. Even among maids, there were different ranks. Those serving the master and mistress were the highest rank, while those serving the eldest miss were the lowest.
But what could be done? The blame lay with the eldest miss’s unfortunate fate, and thus, her own fate was also unfortunate.
Biwu resigned herself to cleaning the room. As soon as she pushed open the window, thick dust billowed up. Outside, she could hear a few maids with brooms whispering:
“The eldest miss has some nerve, ruining the third miss’s engagement and still daring to move near the madam.”
“Exactly, the madam ate half a bowl less of rice for lunch. As long as the eldest miss is here, our days won’t be easy.”
“No wonder they call her a jinx. She should get married off quickly.”
“If we stay too close to her, will we catch her bad luck? I heard others saying that…”
Though their voices were low, each word drifted clearly through the window, unmistakable.
Biwu heard them, and so did Ji Yuluo.
If it were the real Ji Yuyao, she might have been depressed for a long time after hearing such words. But Ji Yuluo felt nothing, and even found it somewhat amusing. However, when she turned around and saw Biwu’s reddened eyes, about to comfort her, Ji Yuluo paused. She composed herself to look like the indifferent Ji Yuyao, and forced a smile, saying, “I’m fine.”
This pretense of calmness only made Biwu imagine a thousand sorrows, feeling even more heartbroken, and she sighed deeply.
Ji Xianyu, worried that her sister hadn’t been eating well in the Hall of Reflection, had gone to the small kitchen to gather a few plates of pastries as soon as she entered the courtyard. But on her way to the separate courtyard, she was caught by Lin Chan.
The door closed, and mother and daughter stared at each other, the atmosphere freezing over.
After a moment, Lin Chan’s gaze fell on the food box in Ji Xianyu’s hands, and she took a deep breath, saying, “How many times have I told you—”
“To stay away from my sister, right?” Ji Xianyu interrupted her, her small face taut.
Lin Chan was momentarily stunned, then angrily retorted, “Others can’t avoid her fast enough, but you keep running to her. How… how did I give birth to such a foolish daughter?”
Ji Xianyu frowned and said, “But haven’t I been fine all these years? You believe the nonsense those monks spout, but Sister is your own daughter too. Don’t you know how heartbroken she must be? People have feelings; how can your heart be made of iron?”
Lin Chan’s face turned cold, and she said, “What do you understand? Anyway, you are not allowed to go. Someone, take the third miss back to her room!”
From childhood, Ji Xianyu had often been confined by Lin Chan because of Ji Yuyao. So, as soon as she heard “someone,” she reflexively hugged the food box and ran, not giving Lin Chan a chance to react.
Lin Chan was momentarily stunned, then her headache flared up again from anger. She pressed her temples and frowned repeatedly, “That girl…”
The nanny supported her and poured her a cup of water to calm her down.
In truth, Lin Chan was only thirty-four or thirty-five years old, but her face, which should have still been youthful, appeared troubled and careworn. These years had not been kind to her, partly because of the concubine Gu Rou, and partly because of Ji Yuyao.
Whenever she thought of Ji Yuyao, it felt like a heavy stone weighed on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Especially whenever Ji Xianyu mentioned her sister in front of her, it felt like swallowing bitter food.
Nanny Wan knew well the source of Lin Chan’s frustrations and sighed, “Madam, don’t hinder them any longer. The sisters share a deep bond, and by interfering, you only damage the relationship between you and the third miss. What’s the point? Besides, how long will the eldest miss stay in the mansion anyway? Let her be.”
Lin Chan reluctantly furrowed her brow, deeply regretting her actions.
Had she known, she would have paid more attention to Ji Yuyao’s marriage prospects two or three years ago when she came of age. If she had arranged a marriage then, Ji Yuyao would have been married off by now to a family far from the capital. This way, she wouldn’t have to worry about Ji Xianyu always being close to her sister, and there wouldn’t be any issues with Huo Xian. The engagement with the Duke of Anguo’s family would also have gone more smoothly.
But Lin Chan had spent the past two years focusing all her attention on Gu Rou’s son, neglecting this matter. Who could have predicted that things would escalate to this point?
Thinking of this, Lin Chan closed her eyes heavily, “… It’s all a cursed fate.”
Meanwhile, Ji Xianyu not only arranged for food and utensils but also had the separate courtyard thoroughly cleaned. This is the difference between having someone who cares and not; the servants dared not disobey her.
The courtyard soon became neat and tidy, even the cool breeze blew freely, rustling the leaves.
Ji Yuluo leaned by the window, playing with the smooth bead on her hairpin. The evening sun cast its glow on her thick, curly lashes, creating a hazy golden shimmer that made her whole demeanor seem ethereal and untainted.
Biwu admired the beauty up close, then handed over the food box, saying, “These are the pastries the third miss sent. She remembers that the miss likes sweets.”
Ji Yuluo’s gaze shifted from the hairpin to the porcelain plate, then she heard Biwu exclaim and pulled out a small box from the food box. Upon opening it, there were three jade bracelets of different colors, the most striking being a red jade bracelet.
The red jade was so vibrant it seemed as if it could bleed, with excellent color and texture, a rare item not commonly found in stores. It was likely given to Ji Xianyu by Lin Chan and, judging by its pristine condition, it was highly treasured by its previous owner.
Even Biwu, who was not knowledgeable about such things, couldn’t help but admire it. She added, “The third miss is really good to you. If anyone in the house truly cares for the miss, it’s only the third miss.”
Ji Yuluo caressed the jade bracelet, her long eyelashes hiding the disdain in her eyes. Her expression remained neutral, and she drew an ambiguous smile from the corner of her mouth, saying, “Yes, she is innocent and pure, very endearing.”
Ji Xianyu felt a sense of guilt towards Ji Yuyao. She believed Lin Chan’s excessive favoritism towards her and cold treatment of Ji Yuyao seemed to have taken away the care that should have belonged to her sister. So she tried her best to compensate in every way possible. Whatever Lin Chan gave her, she would give half, or even more, to Ji Yuyao.
As if this could make things fair between them.
An inexperienced young girl’s thoughts are always particularly naive. She even tried to mend the relationship between Lin Chan and Ji Yuyao, thinking that in a few years, Lin Chan would come around and no longer hold a grudge against Ji Yuyao’s supposedly ill-fated destiny, and would love her more.
The funny thing was, Ji Yuyao also thought the same.
With a “click,” Ji Yuluo closed the box, her gaze drifting longingly out the window, her voice turning faint, “But she is too naive.”
A bit foolish, even.
