"Come in," Lan Miao said, putting down the abacus in her hand. She told Shuangxi to tidy up the table and personally fetched two plates of pastries and a pot of tea. By the time Xue'er and Qingzhi entered, the inner room was bright and clean. Despite the lack of many furnishings, it didn't seem shabby.
Qingzhi was the first child of Wen Hongxin and Lady You, the eldest daughter. She was a few months older than Xue'er. Logically, she should have been the apple of the eye of the Marquis Mansion, doted on. However, since her younger brother was born, Qingzhi had almost become a little maid serving her brother.
Lady You and the old lady shared the same preference for sons over daughters.
"Qingzhi pays respects to Auntie."
Qingzhi was dressed in a delicate pink long dress made of smooth and fine moon brocade, which made her look gentle and obedient. Her clothes and jewelry were of excellent quality, but she always avoided eye contact, showing a hint of timidity.
Xue'er stood beside Qingzhi. Her clothes were made of ordinary fabric, but when she smiled, her eyes would narrow into crescents, looking more like the elder sister.
"Qingzhi, come and have some hibiscus cakes. Auntie remembers you like them the most."
Lan Miao withdrew her gaze and offered the pastries to Qingzhi. Qingzhi reached out to take a small piece and quickly thanked her. "Thank you, Auntie. My mother sent some things."
There was also Huizhu behind Qingzhi.
Huizhu was Lady You's chief maid. She bowed respectfully to Lan Miao and said, "Our lady has sent a set of clothes and some ornaments for you, Madam. If you don't mind, please accept them." She pointed to the indigo blue dress on the wooden table. "It will be most suitable for you to wear this set when you and the old lady go to the White Horse Temple to offer incense in a couple of days."
"Thank your lady for me."
Lan Miao was a quiet and calm person, but she always smiled when talking to others. Even the joy in the corners of her eyes had a kind of subtle and cold beauty.
While the adults were talking, Xue'er pulled Qingzhi aside to eat. Qingzhi's restraint was soon melted by Xue'er's enthusiasm, and they chatted and laughed. However, when the topic of going to the palace as a companion reader came up, a faint frown appeared on Qingzhi's eyebrows.
Xue'er comforted her a few words and quickly took out two small porcelain dolls from her box.
The porcelain dolls had rouge on their cheeks and looked very much like them.
"Qingzhi, I'll give you one of these porcelain dolls. I'll take the other one with me when I enter the palace. In the future, when I'm not by your side, let it accompany you, okay? And could you also visit my mother often when she's alone in the yard?"
Qingzhi shyly accepted the porcelain doll and hugged it tightly in her arms.
She nodded and murmured, "I'll visit Auntie often if my younger brother is okay..."
"Yeah, I like Qingzhi the most. You must miss me after I leave."
After being coaxed by Xue'er for a while, Qingzhi finally beamed with joy.
Huizhu delivered Lady You's message and called Qingzhi. Qingzhi quickly responded and reluctantly left with Huizhu.
After they left, Lan Miao glanced at the indigo blue dress Huizhu had brought, and the smile in the corners of her eyes faded.
Could Lady You be so kind?
But if she didn't wear this set and still wore her usual clothes when going to the White Horse Temple, Lady You would probably gossip in front of the old lady, saying that she had disgraced the Marquis Mansion and was just pretending to be pitiful.
Lan Miao could easily guess the old lady's attitude.
She was caught in a dilemma...
Then she might as well offend both sides.
On the other hand, Qingzhi happily returned to the Sweet-scented Yard where the second branch lived, hugging the porcelain doll.
In the Sweet-scented Yard, Huizhu was talking to Lady You in the bedroom.
Qingzhi tiptoed, trying to hide the porcelain doll Xue'er had given her. However, Lady You still noticed her. Lady You left Huizhu aside, bent down, and pulled Qingzhi in front of her, seeing the porcelain doll in her arms.
Lady You frowned, and her face turned colder.
The annoyance of being outwitted by Lan Miao welled up in her heart, and she shouted, "Did Xue'er give this to you? You take whatever rubbish she gives you as a treasure. You're the eldest daughter of the Marquis Mansion, the apple of the eye of our Wen family. Why do you always follow others around?"
Qingzhi's face turned pale. She wanted to cry but dared not.
Lady You was irritated by her cowardly look. "She's climbed up the social ladder, while you're still rolling in the mud. Without my permission, don't go to the Peaceful Waves Yard anymore."
Qingzhi lowered her head and remained silent, motionless.
Lady You gritted her teeth and was about to scold her further. Then she remembered that she had already set a trap for Lan Miao, so she wasn't as angry. She waved her hand at Qingzhi in disgust.
"Forget it. Go and see your younger brother. Don't get in my way."
"Yes, Mother."
As if granted amnesty, Qingzhi hugged the porcelain doll tightly and went to her younger brother's room. She could still hear Lady You's shrill voice from afar.
"What has she lacked in food or clothing? I've always given her the best and never beaten or scolded her. Why is she still not as good as the child raised by a widow? I'm so angry..."
"She's become a companion reader for the princess after just one trip to the palace, while our daughter is just blindly following her around."
The sharp words almost pierced Qingzhi's ears.
She didn't quite understand some of the words, but she seemed to know what they meant in her heart. Her mother always blamed her.
In the end, it was because—
She was not as good as Xue'er.
A tear welled up in her eye and fell on the rouge-like cheek of the porcelain doll in her arms. It seemed to be crying with her.
---
Two days passed in a blink of an eye. It was the day for the female relatives of the Marquis Mansion to go to the White Horse Temple to offer incense.
Lan Miao got up early, washed, and dressed. Since the old lady would be there today, her makeup was naturally very light. She simply tied her hair up with a wooden hairpin, looking very plain.
All the clothes in the closet were in cold colors. Although Wen Hongxin and the others had sent her a lot of new fabrics, there wasn't enough time to make them into new clothes.
Shuangxi picked up the dress Lady You had sent. "Madam, why don't you wear this set sent by the second lady? The color is low-key but not too simple. It's very suitable for offering incense today."
"It's indeed nice."
Lan Miao slightly squinted her eyes and stared at the dress for a moment. Her eyes were calm.
At the entrance of the Marquis Mansion, two large carriages were waiting quietly.
The autumn wind blew up from the ground, and the cold seeped into the bones.
This autumn was colder than usual.
As soon as Lady You arrived at the entrance, she saw Lan Miao and Xue'er standing under a tree from afar. They were both wearing the same plain white cloaks, wrapped up tightly and looking very warm. Lady You suspected that Lan Miao hadn't worn the dress she had sent. As she got closer, she saw a flash of blue under Lan Miao's cloak.
A smug smile appeared on Lady You's face.
It seemed that Lan Miao had worn the dress she had sent.
The haze in her heart for days was instantly swept away. She was just waiting to see the old lady scold Lan Miao.
"Xue'er pays respects to Second Auntie."
Seeing Lady You coming, Xue'er curtsied. Her fair and tender cheeks were like dumplings.
"Oh, Xue'er is also going to the White Horse Temple to offer incense?"
"Xue'er is going to the temple to ask for a peace talisman so that Mother will be safe when I'm away."
Lady You felt a bit uncomfortable hearing this.
They were all from the Marquis Mansion. Why was Xue'er so good at talking?
After a short greeting, the old lady and her entourage came over. They fell silent and bowed respectfully. The old lady glanced at Lan Miao and Xue'er, as if sizing up their clothes. She didn't seem dissatisfied. Then, supported by Nanny Li, she got into the carriage.
Lan Miao and the others got into the carriage behind.
Seeing this, Lady You snorted in her heart.
When offering incense in the main hall of the White Horse Temple, one had to take off the cloak to show sincerity. By then, Lan Miao's dress would surely be exposed. She didn't even know what was coming.