Jiang Jingshu blew on the blisters on her palm and raised her arm to block the blinding light. She secretly decided to discuss with her stepmother to return to the mansion and persuade her elder sister earnestly not to be blinded by glory and wealth.
She took steps towards the house and met her stepmother head - on.
"Why haven't you fetched the water yet?"
Facing her stepmother's question, Jiang Jingshu hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Just now when I was fetching water, I thought of elder sister and got distracted for a while..."
"What's there to think about her? A spineless person who only knows how to fawn on wealth..."
Jiang Jingshu quickly grabbed her stepmother's arm. "Stepmother, maybe elder sister was just blinded by wealth that day. Perhaps she has already seen things clearly by now. How about I go back and persuade her again? She may change her mind..."
Hearing her younger daughter's words, Concubine Ruan also thought of the inconvenience these days without her elder daughter. With a cold and expressionless face, she reluctantly nodded.
"Then give her one more chance. If she is truly willing to come back, let her."
Jiang Jingshu hooked her arm around her stepmother's. "Then I'll go back tomorrow..."
"Okay. When you go, tell her that as long as she recognizes her mistakes and copies The Admonitions for Women ten more times after coming back, I'll let bygones be bygones!"
Jiang Jingshu lowered her eyes. Thinking of the copy of The Admonitions for Women beside her pillow, which her stepmother had copied by hand and told her to always keep in mind, she felt that her stepmother indeed preferred her noble and unyielding nature.
The next day, when Jiang Jingshu was leaving the villa, she happened to meet the wife of Niu Er from the town who was going to the city. Seeing her, the woman called out,
"Hey, are you A He's younger sister?"
Jiang Jingshu saw the vulgar woman on the ox - cart and covered her face with a handkerchief without saying a word.
The woman frowned at her. "I can't be wrong. Your elder sister used to take my ox - cart when she went to the town to sell mountain goods. Where are you going?"
Seeing that the woman was persistent, Jiang Jingshu had to reply, "I'm going back to the Jiang Mansion!"
"Oh, I've heard from your elder sister that you are the concubine - born daughters of a family in the city and live in the villa with your stepmother. Since you're A He's younger sister, I might as well give you a ride..."
Jiang Jingshu looked at the smelly ox - cart with disgust and secretly fanned it with her sleeve. "No need. I can just walk there..."
The wife of Niu Er immediately saw that the little girl disliked her ox - cart. She frowned and said, "Your elder sister used to give me some mountain goods when she took my ox - cart. I'm being kind enough to give you a ride, but you still dislike it. You're really ungrateful..."
Saying this, she whipped the ox and sped up.
Jiang Jingshu watched the ox - cart go away and couldn't help looking at the sun in the sky, which was burning her face. But she felt that by refusing the vulgar woman, she had maintained her dignity. Her stepmother would surely praise her if she knew!
It took her half a day to reach the city gate. Thirsty and parched, she leaned against the wall at the gate to take a rest. Unexpectedly, a carriage suddenly passed by at the gate, and the dust it kicked up covered her face.
"Cough..." Jiang Jingshu fanned the flying dust with her sleeve while coughing. She couldn't help complaining. It was all because of her elder sister. If she wasn't afraid that her elder sister would bear the reputation of being vain, she wouldn't have to go through this.
When she finally arrived at the Jiang Mansion in a sorry state and was just about to step in, she was stopped by the gatekeeper.
"What dirty thing? How dare you try to barge into our Jiang Mansion..."
Obviously, because she was so disheveled, the gatekeeper didn't recognize her.
After much commotion at the gate, when she was finally let into the mansion, Jiang Jingshu was in a complete mess. She slumped into a chair and took a deep breath.
When the servant reported Jiang Jingshu's arrival to Jiang Sihe, she wasn't surprised. It was quite unexpected that Jiang Jingshu had been able to endure the hard work in the villa for more than ten days.
Jiang Sihe's injuries had almost healed. Since Jiang Jingshu had come looking for her, she couldn't avoid seeing her. Otherwise, there would surely be gossips in the mansion.
Hearing the noise outside, Jiang Jingshu, who was leaning on the chair, quickly sat up straight, tidied her hairpin, and resumed her usual cold and aloof appearance.
Jiang Sihe entered with Dan Feng and Xiu Yue. Seeing Jiang Jingshu's state, she was a bit stunned. At the same time, Jiang Jingshu was even more surprised to see her elder sister.
She saw her elder sister's fair and flawless face like mutton - fat jade and her noble clothes. She couldn't help feeling contemptuous. Sure enough, her elder sister was so vulgar.
"Sister, what happened? Why have you made yourself look like this?"
Jiang Jingshu didn't want to lose her grace in front of her elder sister. She just said indifferently, "I just encountered some accidents on the way!"
"Then do you want to freshen up first before talking to me?"
Jiang Jingshu also thought that she looked too unseemly. So she nodded. "That's fine!"
Dan Feng took her to freshen up. When she came back, Xiu Yue was holding a bowl of something for Jiang Sihe.
"Second Miss, this is the freshly stewed golden - thread bird's nest sent from the small kitchen just now..."
Jiang Sihe had been drinking all these tonics for more than ten days and was starting to feel nauseated.
"Put it aside first. I'll drink it later..."
Xiu Yue put the bowl of soup aside and picked up the round fan to gently fan Jiang Sihe.
When Jiang Jingshu entered the room with Dan Feng, she happened to see this scene. She despised her elder sister's behavior very much. It reeked of the vulgarity of someone who had climbed up the social ladder.
After entering, she was full of emotions. With a cold face, she pointed at Jiang Sihe's nose and snorted.
"Elder sister has really climbed up the social ladder now. I'm afraid you've even forgotten the stepmother who gave birth to you and raised you..."
The two maids in the room didn't expect the Fourth Miss to point at the Second Miss's nose and mock her like this. They were about to step forward to argue, but were stopped by Jiang Sihe.
"You two go out first!"
Xiu Yue looked at Dan Feng. After Dan Feng nodded at her, she put down the fan and followed Dan Feng out.
"Did you come all the way from the villa with so much trouble just to mock me, sister?"
Jiang Sihe's calmness made Jiang Jingshu even more dissatisfied.
"Elder sister, don't you even want to ask how stepmother has been these days? Are you so heartless that you don't care about me and stepmother at all?"
"Have you forgotten the days when the three of us mother and daughters relied on each other in the villa after enjoying this glory and wealth?"
Jiang Jingshu wanted to play the emotional card, but she was actually forcing Jiang Sihe from the moral high - ground of family affection.
Jiang Sihe slowly lifted her eyelids and looked at Jiang Jingshu. "What do you want to say, sister?"
"I'm here to give elder sister one last chance. If you turn over a new leaf, mother and I will still forgive you. But if you remain stubborn, I'm afraid in the end..."
"In the end, what will happen?"
Jiang Sihe stood up. Her almond - shaped eyes looked at her younger sister half - smiling.
"In the end, of course, even your own stepmother and younger sister won't care about you. You'll just get lost in this false and artificial life!"
Jiang Sihe couldn't help laughing. She laughed at Jiang Jingshu's stupidity, at her trying to get her to go back while still being so self - righteous and accusing her of being wrong.
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, sister. I'm just willing to be blinded by this glory and wealth!"