After leaving the front hall, it was still raining.
Jiang Zhao murmured something under her breath, then took out the black cloak from her bag and put it on.
As for Jiang Changlin, he was still lingering in front of the old lady Jiang's door.
Jiang Zhao didn't bother about him and followed He Shi at a distance.
He Shi returned to the courtyard in a huff. As soon as she sat down and looked up, she saw Jiang Zhao wearing that annoying cloak that looked like something for the dead.
Immediately, she flew into a rage. What she had planned to say to Jiang Zhao nicely turned into a scolding: "Disobedient girl, kneel down at once!"
"I won't kneel," Jiang Zhao replied straightforwardly.
He Shi was stunned for a moment. Then, regaining her senses, she grabbed the teacup on the table and threw it at Jiang Zhao.
When had she ever been disobeyed like this? This disobedient girl was truly a curse to her!
Jiang Zhao deftly dodged the teacup, and her eyes turned sharp. "I wonder what I've done wrong that makes you demand me to kneel or beat me, Mother."
He Shi snorted. "Just because I gave birth to you!"
"I'm your birth mother. You have to accept whatever I do, whether it's reward or punishment!"
She had been looking forward to her daughter's return for so long. But now that Jiang Zhao was really back, she felt a knot in her heart.
Jiang Zhao said calmly, "The rules of this Marquis Mansion are really strange. I've never heard of such things."
"Maybe I should go and ask Grandmother, Father, or the government to see if there are really mothers like you."
"You!" He Shi's chest heaved up and down. She was rendered speechless by Jiang Zhao and finally blurted out, "You good-for-nothing!"
Jiang Zhao shrugged indifferently. "Are you done?"
"If you are, I'm leaving."
He Shi forced herself to suppress her anger and winked at Yicui on one side. "Yicui, take her to the east courtyard to settle down."
"By the way, find two quick - witted maids to teach her the rules, so that she won't embarrass the Marquis Mansion when she goes out in the future."
Yicui understood He Shi's meaning when she met her eyes and agreed.
...
Just as Jiang Zhao left with Yicui.
A little girl in a pink brocade dress embroidered with a hundred flowers rushed in. She had bright almond - shaped eyes, red lips and white teeth, and was extremely cute and fair - skinned.
"Mother!" Jiang Yuzhu ran up and threw herself into He Shi's arms. "I've missed you so much these days, Mother."
He Shi was caught off guard but was embraced by her. Smelling the familiar fragrance on her daughter, the anger in her eyes faded.
She lovingly stroked Jiang Yuzhu's black hair. "Look at you. You're so old and still acting like a child."
"What will you do when I'm old and gone?"
"It's still raining outside. Why did you come back today?" A few days ago, when the weather was good, Jiang Yuzhu had been pestering to go to Yun'an Temple. He Shi was worried about her going alone, so she asked her eldest and second sons to accompany her.
"Shoo, shoo, shoo. Mother, what are you talking nonsense about? You'll surely live a long life," said the tall man following Jiang Yuzhu. "It's this girl who was eager to come back and see you. She said she missed you, so we rushed back."
Jiang Yuzhu nodded emphatically. "Big brother is right. Mother will surely live a long life!"
"Big brother, quickly take out the amulet I prayed for Mother. They say the amulets from Yun'an Temple are the most effective."
Jiang Zhong smiled indulgently and handed the amulet to Jiang Yuzhu. "Yes, Mother. Yu'er knelt in Yun'an Temple for a whole hour to get this amulet. No one could persuade her."
Hearing this, He Shi's eyes were immediately filled with pity. "My child, don't do this again. What if you hurt your body? What would I do then?"
Jiang Yuzhu giggled and nestled in He Shi's arms, acting coquettishly.
Looking at her well - behaved daughter in her arms, the discomfort He Shi had felt because of Jiang Zhao just now vanished.
Although Yu'er was only two years younger than Jiang Zhao, she had been a worry - free child even before she was born and had never given He Shi any trouble.
She had been sweet - tongued and lovable since childhood, unlike Jiang Zhao, who had been a naughty child.
If only Jiang Zhao were half as well - behaved as Yu'er and not such a troublesome child, as her birth mother, how could He Shi not love her own child?
"Mother, is there a guest in our house?" The last man to enter was dressed in white. His figure was not as tall and straight as Jiang Zhong's but rather slender.
He had a more gentle and introverted temperament, with a warm smile on his lips.
This was Jiang Lanzhi, the second son in the family.
When Jiang Lanzhi came back, he saw two maids going to the east courtyard, so he guessed there was a guest.
He Shi's face darkened, and she said unhappily, "It would be good if it were a guest."
"Unfortunately, your grandmother has invited back an ancestor!"
Jiang Yuzhu raised her head from He Shi's arms and looked at her curiously with her big, blinking eyes.
He Shi sighed helplessly. "Isn't it because your grandmother was sick and confused and brought that Jiang Zhao back."
Hearing this, Jiang Lanzhi frowned slightly, showing a bit of discomfort.
At that time, because he and his younger brother were twins and his uncle, the Duke of Su, had no children, he was taken to his maternal grandparents' house.
Later, after his grandfather passed away, he returned to the Marquis Mansion and began to shuttle between the two places.
It couldn't be said that he was not close to He Shi, but he was far from as close as his elder brother and sister.
Hearing his mother's complaint about his grandmother, Jiang Lanzhi felt a bit uncomfortable.
Jiang Zhong frowned. "Why did Grandmother suddenly ask her to come back?"
He was seven years older than Jiang Zhao. It had been more than ten years since Jiang Zhao left home.
Although they were all in the capital, Jiang Zhao had returned home only a few times over the years. Each time, she just visited her grandmother in a hurry and then left, having little interaction with them.
His impression of Jiang Zhao still remained that of a cute little girl.
Later, as Yu'er grew up, he gradually forgot that he had another younger sister, so he didn't have much affection for her.
He Shi complained, "She said the old man in the morgue died. Jiang Zhao said something mysterious to your grandmother and coaxed her into bringing her back."
Jiang Yuzhu unconsciously tightened the knuckles of her hands hanging by her side. Her eyes flickered and she said, "Mother, elder sister has been away from home for so many years. I've forgotten what she looks like."
"I've always envied those who have an elder sister. Now that elder sister has finally come back, I'll have an elder sister to accompany me in the future." Jiang Yuzhu blinked her clear deer - like eyes and said sincerely, "Where is elder sister now? I want to go and see her."
As soon as she said this, He Shi reacted as if she was avoiding a plague. "No!"
"Yu'er, listen to your mother. Stay away from her. She's not an easy person."
"From now on, all of you should have less contact with her to avoid bad luck."
Jiang Zhong nodded in agreement with He Shi. He always listened to his mother.
Since his mother had said so, she must be an unlikable person.
Jiang Lanzhi didn't think so. He thought that as the mistress of the family, He Shi was a bit too mean. "Mother, your words are too much."
"Sister grew up in the morgue. She must have suffered a lot over the years. Now that she's back home, she's a member of our Marquis Mansion."
"She's our blood relative. Where does the so - called bad luck come from?"
He Shi said stiffly, "I'm just worried that Yu'er is young and has a weak constitution. That Jiang Zhao deals with the dead all day long. She's full of bad luck. What if Yu'er is really haunted by something unclean on her?"
Jiang Lanzhi frowned. As a scholar, he never believed in such superstitious things. They were just illusory. Moreover, such words really shouldn't come from the mouth of the mistress of the family.
"Mother, the past was not something sister could choose."
"Yu'er wants to visit elder sister because of their sisterly affection. We shouldn't stop her. As family members, we should care more about sister and not reject her with words, lest people laugh at our Jiang family for being mean."