Chapter 214: A New Beginning
Bai Li stepped into the small courtyard shrouded in the thin mist of a March morning, this time not letting Jiang Yun fall asleep.
“Has the Marquis’s Heir arrived?” she asked softly.
Before Jiang Yun could answer, the door curtain rustled, and Zhou Jingyun walked out, dressed in casual clothes, holding a baby in his arms.
“He’s here, come in quickly,” he said with a smile, then asked, “Haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
Bai Li shook her head with a smile. If it were before, she would have loved to find some breakfast in the morning market, but now…
“Mama Xu, get the food ready,” Zhou Jingyun said toward the kitchen.
Bai Li saw a servant woman poke her head out from behind the kitchen door, responding with a cheerful “Yes.”
“The Young Madam is back,” she said to Bai Li with a smile.
Bai Li nodded with a smile and followed Zhou Jingyun inside. Before entering, she looked back and saw Jiang Yun looking a little dazed.
“How did you explain it to him?” she asked curiously.
It didn’t seem like he knew she was Zhuang Li.
Zhou Jingyun said, “I just said it was an old friend.” He smiled again. “I didn’t lie to him.”
An old friend, someone they knew before, someone who had passed away—he really didn’t lie to him. Bai Li couldn’t help but laugh, looking at the baby in Zhou Jingyun’s arms.
The little baby was half asleep in the swaddle.
“She’s grown a bit,” Bai Li said, reaching out to gently poke the baby’s cheek. “Why is she always sleeping?”
Zhou Jingyun chuckled. “Babies sleep a lot at this age.” He gestured to her. “Go wash up, get ready to eat.”
He really looked like he knew how to take care of children now. Bai Li smiled and looked around the room again, slightly stunned. Compared to the last time she came, it had changed drastically.
But it wasn’t unfamiliar, but rather familiar.
The layout was like the one they had in the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence.
Of course, because the place was smaller than the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, screens replaced partition walls, and the bed, desk, bookshelf, dressing table, and arhat bed were all smaller.
Like a miniature version.
Bai Li couldn’t help but turn to look at Zhou Jingyun.
Seeing her look over, Zhou Jingyun knew what she was thinking and hurriedly said, “It was too rushed, and there was no time to carefully choose furniture, so I just arranged it according to our old home, thinking that at least you would be used to it.”
This was called rushed and not putting in effort?! Bai Li gave him a deep look but didn’t say anything, going to wash up.
Zhou Jingyun inexplicably let out a sigh of relief, gently rocking the baby in his arms.
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The courtyard of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence was a bit chaotic.
Several servant women, headscarves wrapped tightly, wielded scissors, trimming flowers and trees, while young maids ran around picking up fallen branches and leaves.
As many branches and leaves were turning green and sprouting, the young maids gathered them into bundles, playfully chasing each other.
Chunhong stood on the porch, occasionally scolding them.
“The weather is nice today,” Chun Yue walked out and said. “Let’s air out the bedding.”
Chunhong agreed, about to call someone, when she saw a woman with a beaming smile walk in.
“Are you sisters busy?” she greeted.
This was Concubine Mei’s mother, Granny Li, who worked in the main kitchen.
Chun Yue and Chunhong nodded in response.
Granny Li didn’t go directly to the east courtyard but asked with a flattering smile, “Is there anything I can help with?” She looked toward the main house. “Has the Marquis’s Heir already gone to the government office?”
Chunhong frowned and said bluntly, “Are you going to see Concubine Mei, Mama Li? She’s still free now, but later we all have to copy scriptures for the Young Madam.”
Mama Li hurriedly said, “Okay, okay, I know. Madam is going to the temple in a couple of days, so I’ll ask Concubine Mei to copy one for me too, to show my sincerity.”
Without waiting for Chun Yue and Chunhong to say anything else, she hurried off to the east courtyard.
Chunhong said with displeasure, “Everyone is watching whether the Marquis’s Heir is at home or not!”
Chun Yue said, “There’s no helping it, there are too many rumors.”
“But the Marquis’s Heir only went to the pleasure boat once,” Chunhong said.
Chun Yue said helplessly, “But the Marquis’s Heir has indeed not been home at night lately.”
Yes, the Marquis’s Heir indeed hasn’t, and no one knows where he goes. Feng’er would rather be sent out to find him before dawn or in the middle of the night than tell them where the Marquis’s Heir goes. It’s very strange.
“Mother, don’t pry,” Concubine Mei said, reclining on a lounge chair. “The Marquis’s Heir was home last night.”
She pushed a plate of candied fruit toward her.
“Try some of the sweets from our side.”
Mama Li scolded her angrily, “The Marquis’s Heir is at home, and you’re not making a move? All you do is stay in the courtyard and eat, eat, eat!”
Seeing that she wasn’t eating, Concubine Mei pulled the candied fruit back and ate it herself, asking vaguely, “What kind of move?”
“The Marquis’s Heir is distressed now, missing the Young Madam. You should naturally go and comfort him!” Mama Li poked her head angrily. “Why let the Marquis’s Heir go out and sleep with flowers and willows!”
Concubine Mei cried out, “Mother, don’t talk nonsense! Don’t spread rumors with them!”
Mama Li curled her lip. Gossiping about the master’s family was not good. She didn’t say anything more, only muttering, “So many people saw it.”
“Mother, don’t worry, no matter what the Marquis’s Heir does outside,” Concubine Mei said, “I’m safe and sound by the Marquis’s Heir’s side. The former Young Madam drove Xueliu away, but she didn’t drive me away.”
She sat up as she spoke.
“Mother, you don’t know, the Marquis’s Heir misses the Young Madam so much, he won’t allow the furnishings in the room to be changed.”
She smiled happily.
“So the Marquis’s Heir definitely won’t drive me away!”
Mama Li spat, “You’ve eaten yourself silly! Men’s hearts are fickle. Be careful, he might bring a new person back tomorrow and kick you out like Xueliu!”
Concubine Mei laughed. “The Marquis’s Heir is not that kind of person. He stayed faithful to the previous one for eight or nine years, so this one should last at least ten years. I’ll enjoy myself for ten years first!”
Mama Li snorted and got up. “I’m leaving you be. I still have to go out shopping today.”
Concubine Mei hurriedly said, “Mother, bring me back some Jade Dew Balls from Granny Wang’s shop.”
Mama Li said angrily, “Eat, eat, eat! All you know is to eat!” She flung her sleeve and left.
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The food in the room was cleared away, and the baby lying in the cradle began to stretch her arms and legs, shaking her head. Before opening her eyes, she started to cry.
Bai Li reached out and picked her up, soothing her with gentle sounds.
The baby shook her head, stopped crying, and seemed to glance at the person holding her.
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“I’m your aunt,” Bai Li said to her, making a funny face. “Call me aunt, call…”
Before she could finish speaking, the baby burst into tears again.
This time, no matter how Bai Li rocked or patted her, it was no use.
“Let me, let me,” Zhou Jingyun said with a smile, reaching out to take the baby.
“This child, she’s really hard to soothe,” Bai Li said awkwardly.
Who makes funny faces to soothe a baby? Zhou Jingyun laughed inwardly, then sighed softly. It seemed she hadn’t played normally with children when she was little.
No children played with her.
She didn’t know how to play with children.
“She’s hungry,” Zhou Jingyun said. “I’ll take her to the wet nurse.”
Bai Li nodded.
Zhou Jingyun turned to leave, then remembered something at the door. “You can read for a while, I brought over the books you usually read.”
Bai Li waved her hand at him. “I know, go quickly.”
She watched as Zhou Jingyun finally left.
She pursed her lips. She didn’t think Zhou Jingyun was so long-winded before.
Was it from taking care of the baby?
She walked to the small bookshelf, the sound of footsteps in the courtyard coming from outside the window.
“Madam, I’ll brew some tea for the Young Lady, the same way you did last time, I learned it.”
“I’ll do it, it’s warm today, I’ll change the blend, her stomach is very delicate.”
Even though separated by doors and windows, Bai Li standing inside seemed to see Madam Zhuang’s gentle figure.
In this instant, she seemed to be back to when she first arrived at Zhuang Feizi and his wife’s side. They took her everywhere. Because it was her first time out, and she was young, she often got sick due to the change in environment. Madam Zhuang would brew tea for her, a different blend for each of the 24 solar terms, a different blend for each place. Later, she never got sick again.
They took care of her with genuine care.
Because of Shen Qing, she thought their care was fake.
Now, this care had returned.
Life was always like this, gaining, losing, then gaining again, ups and downs, many changes.
Bai Li looked around the room again. It was the same here. She suddenly gained a home, then lost it, now it was back.
A smile involuntarily curved Bai Li’s lips.
Zhou Jingyun walked in, holding the baby who had eaten her fill. Seeing her standing by the bookshelf smiling, he couldn’t help but smile too.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked.
Bai Li smiled and pulled out a scroll. “This book is funny.”
Nonsense, that was a Thousand Character Classic, what was funny about it?
The reason he had a Thousand Character Classic was that he thought, with a child, he could read it to her, although it might be a bit early.
Zhou Jingyun didn’t ask further. It didn’t matter why she was smiling, as long as she was happy.
“I have some urgent business at the Ministry,” he said. “I need to check an old document.”
Bai Li nodded, taking his cloak from the clothes rack. “Then go quickly.”
Zhou Jingyun agreed, hesitating for a moment. If he left, and she felt uncomfortable here…
“I’ll give the baby to the wet nurse, you…”
He was about to offer to let her go back too.
But Bai Li stuffed the cloak into his hands and reached out to take the baby. “Let’s go, we’ll see the Marquis’s Heir off to work.”
She wasn’t resistant to being alone with Madam Zhuang anymore. Zhou Jingyun swallowed the words he was about to say and nodded with a smile, taking a small cloak from the side.
“Just to the door, it’s cold outside, wrap her up well.”
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It was rare to find a pastry shop hidden in an alley.
Granny Li’s hands were sore from carrying the two baskets.
It was only because her daughter wanted to eat it, otherwise she wouldn’t walk this far!
“Eat, eat, eat, all you know is to eat,” she complained under her breath.
Looking at the alley ahead, remembering there seemed to be a shortcut here, Granny Li gripped the baskets tightly and walked briskly toward it. As she turned into the alley, she suddenly saw a figure in front of her.
Although it was just a back view, a name subconsciously popped into Granny Li’s mind.
The Marquis’s Heir!
That’s right!
It was the Marquis’s Heir!
To be disrespectful, the Marquis’s Heir was also her son-in-law, so his image was more deeply imprinted in her mind than others.
But why was the Marquis’s Heir here? Didn’t he go to the government office early in the morning?
As she was lost in thought, the figure took a few steps forward, revealing half of his side profile.
It really was the Marquis’s Heir.
Granny Li subconsciously stepped back, hiding behind the corner of the wall. The Marquis’s Heir’s voice faintly reached her ears.
“Alright, go back quickly.”
Was the Marquis’s Heir visiting a friend early in the morning and saying goodbye to them?
Granny Li thought to herself, then in the next moment, she heard a cheerful female voice.
“Got it.”
A female voice!
Granny Li jolted, peeking out. She saw half of a woman’s figure by the door. Before she could make out her side profile, the woman lifted a thick bundle in her arms.
“Come, Little Nannan, say goodbye to the Marquis’s Heir.”
Little, Nan, Nan!
Granny Li felt as if she had been struck by lightning, abruptly retreating, leaning against the wall, her breath gone.
Heavens!
