The sun hung over the sky resembling a golden platter. There was no wind in the summertime, only the sound of cicadas could be heard.
A young servant girl wearing short, brown, plain clothes, with her hair combed and tied into two knots, and with an adorable appearance, used her arm to support another person to alight from the carriage.
The appearance of the girl alighting was about 14-15 years old, a young girl who was just blooming into maidenhood. Yet she was wearing a grey Buddhist attire that had lost its color from many washes. The attire was wide, making the petite girl's body appear even more frail, and her jet-black long hair was half bound by a wooden hairpin, while the remaining loose hair at the back of her head was draped carelessly over her shoulders, resembling a waterfall. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her pair of eyes was just like a young deer eyes in the woods: kind, pure and warm, exceptionally beautiful.
A string of prayer beads was around her wrist and on her feet, she wore the simplest grey cloth shoes. Her hands were put together and her eyes hung low. Long eyelashes, snow-white skin, ink-black hair, for a split second, the people who saw her held their breaths.
She was like a reborn mayfly; beautiful, frail, yet looked docile, as if not knowing the sinister human world. Like the virgin reincarnation of the Goddess of Mercy; pure, simple, such as a white sheet of paper.
There was no wind blowing in the sixth month, yet, the instant the girl went down from the carriage, the people around felt cool and comfortable. Her features were not delicate and dazzling like Jiang You Yao, but naturally graceful. Perhaps growing at the temple deep in the mountain had given birth to her elegance, with no desire and no demands. She walked over step by step, clear like the evening breeze.
The young servant girl supported the girl to Jiang residence's doorway, then the girl stood before saluting humbly. Her voice was just like her appearance, soft and meek. She spoke: "Jiang Lî is unfilial, seeing father and mother."
When she said this sentence, the surrounding commoners seemed to have just woken up, each and every one of them looked foolishly at her. Suddenly, someone shouted: "Jiang second miss is very similar to Lord Chief Assistant ah!"
Jiang Li's eyelashes trembled faintly and the corner of her mouth slightly pursed, her posture became even more docile.
Jiang Yuan Bai looked at this daughter of his with a complicated expression. Seven years without any meeting, Jiang Li had changed a lot. He could hardly recognize his former fierce and fiery daughter. He always thought Jiang Li's temper resembled Ye Zhen Zhen's, simple and rough when handling matters, not able to be flexible. Furthermore, still couldn't understand how to give in. Now, listening to the commoners' words, Jiang Yuan Bai suddenly discovered that the grown Jiang Li's appearance resembled him, even more so than Jiang You Yao.
Jiang You Yao inherited Ji Shuran's good looks, delicate and exquisite like porcelain. But Jiang Li had the image of a pear blossom tree that was raised deep in the mountain, noble and clean with an outstanding temperament. Really resembling their scholarly style.
Even if this scholarly appearance was just a pretense.
Perhaps it was due to the sudden appearance of this daughter he hadn't met for seven years which roused Jiang Yuan Bai's bloodline bond. Or perhaps it was due to Jiang Li's appearance that resembled himself, which made Jiang Yuan Bai feel some familiarity with her. In short, Jiang Yuan Bai's heart turned soft. He reached his hand out and supported Jiang Li's bent waist and warmly said: "It's good that you have returned. Go right in, your grandmother and them are still waiting for you inside."
When Jiang Yuan Bai spoke, for an instant, Ji Shuran who was by his side stiffened. Then she looked even more sincere and immediately followed after, holding Jiang Li's hand. She said while smiling: "You are finally back."
Jiang You Yao blinked and suddenly said: "Second sister, you are returning home, why are you still wearing the nunnery's clothes? Didn't mother let Sun momo give you new clothes? Why should you wear this crude attire? If people did not know, they would think that mother treats you harshly."
The surrounding was all quiet, Ji Shuran called out: "You Yao, don't talk nonsense!" She then turned her head to pat Jiang Li's hand and smilingly said: "Your meimei talks straightforwardly but with no bad intention. Don't take it to heart."
The commoners standing around the doorway had not scattered yet and they stared at Jiang Li. Ji Shuran appeased her, full of apology, while Jiang You Yao concealed her pleased gaze. Even Jiang Yuan Bai changed his expression while looking at her. Everyone took in the scene at the moment.
Tsk tsk tsk, what a great performance. Just returned to Yanjing and had not stepped through the doorway of the house, yet had given her such a show of strength. How should these words be returned? Jiang Li returned home, obviously new clothes were provided, yet she stubbornly wore the nunnery's black attire. What did she mean? Was it because she was dissatisfied with Ji Shuran, therefore she refused to wear the clothes prepared by her, or had she purposely done so to make the commoners see how she was treated badly by the Chief Assistant's residence? It seemed that, in Jiang Yuan Bai's eyes, this conduct of Jiang Li showed resentment towards Jiang residence. Not at all maintaining its name.
Jiang Li humbly smiled, her eyes were even clearer than Ji Shuran's. She replied: "Mother's good intention, Jiang Li had received. Sun momo sent over the clothes and they are made from first-rate silk, the embroidery was complicated, still there are precious stones inlaid on them, making people happy upon laying eyes on them."
Ji Shuran saw Jiang Li's smiling look and without knowing why, she abruptly had a feeling of unease. Her intuition told her to prevent Jiang Li from speaking further, but before she spoke, Jiang You Yao took the opportunity to open her mouth to reply: "If that's the case, why didn't you wear them?"
"Li'er is already accustomed to wearing simple clothes and eating vegetarian food, she must not be used to it. Don't mind it." Ji Shuran hurriedly spoke. Her intuition told her that she shouldn't let Jiang Li reply to this, so she took the lead in obstructing.
Jiang Li shook her head: "How is that possible? In the end, Jiang Li is a female, how could females not like splendid clothing? It's just ......." She regretfully shook her head, "After all, Jiang Li hasn't returned to the residence for seven years to see mother. There was also little communication, mother does not know Jiang Li's height, so when making those magnificent clothings, unexpectedly, none of them fit."
None of them fit!
The commoners were in an uproar, based on Jiang Li's sentence, it didn't matter that she hadn't been back to the residence for seven years. But seven years with little communication, it was very likely that it wasn't just little communication. There must not have been any communication at all, right!? Otherwise, when the mother was making clothes for her, how could she not know her daughter's measurements. Of course it must be because since seven years ago, she simply did not know Jiang Li's situation, so she had no idea how tall Jiang Li had become.
The heart was really ruthless ah. Although she had made such a big mistake, that was still their own flesh and blood ah.
The surrounding people pointed at Jiang Yuan Bai and he became gloomy though on the surface, he still remained calm and collected. However, Ji Shuran knew that Jiang Yuan Bai was already unhappy. In a moment of desperation, Ji Shuran looked at Sun momo, such a huge matter, why didn't Sun momo send a notice while they were still on the way? Or else, with such a shrewd experience, how was it possible that she let Jiang Li this young girl to seize such a handle?
Sun momo was also grieving in her heart. She had already given those clothes to Jiang Li but she didn't wear them. When Sun momo asked her why she didn't wear them, Jiang Li only said that she didn't like wearing these clothes. Since that's the case, Sun momo didn't try to persuade her, merely thinking that Jiang Li was just throwing a tantrum. She even thought that it would be better with this tantrum. Just wait till the time she arrived at the residence, Ji Shuran would be able to grasp her handle, making Jiang Li eat this loss.
At that time, Jiang Li only said that she didn't like wearing them, she didn't mention that they weren't well fit ah! Sun momo thought back to Jiang Li's behavior and conducts, and it suddenly dawned on her. Since the beginning, Jiang Li had dug a pit, waiting for madam and third miss to jump into it!
In her mind, Jiang Li broke into laughter. She didn't deliberately dig a hole for others. However, since this happened, then let it be. In a way, it was also considered probing. If Jiang third miss and Ji Shuran were really not fuel-saving lamps , naturally they would fall in it. If they were honest and sincere, then they could live together in harmony. She didn't expect that having just arrived at the residence, each and everyone's attitude was already testing her. Ji Shuran wasn't really like her gentle and kind-hearted appearance, and Jiang third miss also seemed to have quite a bit of hostility towards her.
As for this cheap father, Jiang Li wasn't really his biological daughter. So towards his affair, she wouldn't be disappointed. If this time it was the genuine Jiang second miss, afraid she would be discouraged since earlier.
Anyway, this Jiang family was Yanjing's most outstanding government official great family. With the tall gates of the great family, inevitably there would be waves. This being the case, then just confront soldiers with generals and stem water with earth.
But the current her was no longer the unskilled that fell into the water Jiang second miss. She also wasn't the Xue Fang Fei who could be humiliated by people and got killed. The present Jiang Li was not afraid of anything.
You harmed me, why would you think I wouldn't be able to harm you?
Jiang Li smiled at Ji Shuran and spoke: "Mother, although the clothes didn't fit, it was after all made with sincere intention, Jiang Li doesn't dare to forget. It's just, having lived in the nunnery for seven years, Jiang Li is aware not to be wasteful. Since the clothes were already made and didn't fit, they shouldn't stay with me." She abruptly turned towards at Jiang You Yao who was at the side.
Ji Shuran's heart skipped a beat, then heard Jiang Li smilingly continued: "I see third younger sister has the precise measurements with the clothes made by mother. Why not let the clothes made by mother be given to third sister. Now that I think about it, with those design and colors, when third younger sister wears them, they must be suitable and incomparable, will look very nice."
All color drained from Ji Shuran's face.
The last straw that crushed the camel's back! Perhaps from tomorrow onwards, all over Yanjing city news would spread on how Jiang family's new madam treated the stepdaughter and her own daughter. Close and distant relatives were treated distinctly differently, just a look could tell. Jiang Li had just returned home, yet her many years of painstaking effort to build her virtuous reputation were smashed in an instant.
What a good Jiang second miss!
Footnotes:
1: 吃个闷亏 : to eat losses but be unable tell anybody off.
2: 不是省油灯 : (idiom) to not be an oil-saving lamp means that this person is really capable, talented, but also carries a negative implication in the sense that this person is also sly and dangerous.
3: 兵来将挡，水来土掩 : (idiom) take appropriate measures as the situation calls for.