A complex emotion flickered through Xiao Ling's heart.
At the small banquet in the Prime Minister's residence, Xiao Man had been aggressive, haughty, and sharp. Now, back in her own residence, Xiao Ling truly felt that Xiao Man had changed!
"That's good, I was worried elder sister still felt wronged," Xiao Ling said, holding Xiao Man's hand with a worried expression. "This time elder sister suffered, Father was furious, he took Mother's authority to manage the household, and sent Concubine Lin and Fourth Sister to Ziyun Nunnery for blessings. Concubine Lin aside, Fourth Sister is young and cannot endure the hardships of the nunnery. Elder sister, why not speak to Father and bring Fourth Sister back?"
"Fourth Sister isn't in the residence?" Xiao Man appeared surprised. "You see, I've been recuperating from my injuries these past few days, confined to my courtyard. I didn't even know Fourth Sister wasn't here. It's Third Sister, you who are so well-informed. Even though people are away, you know everything happening in the residence."
Xiao Ling instinctively clenched her fist, but her smile remained unchanged. "I only returned yesterday and heard it from Mother, otherwise I wouldn't have known."
"No wonder, I thought Third Sister was so well-informed," Xiao Man said with a smile. "Father is the master of this General's residence. His decisions must have their reasons. When Concubine Lin and Fourth Sister are brought back is also up to Father. I have no say over Father. If Third Sister is truly worried, go and beg Father and Grandmother. I will take my leave now."
After Xiao Man left, the smile on Xiao Ling's face vanished, a cold glint in her eyes. She then went to Yan Shi's main courtyard.
Yan Shi was still sewing shoe soles. She had asked Luo Mama to send food to the General these past two days but had not seen him. She knew then that his anger had not yet subsided.
"Mother."
"You've returned from Grandmother's. How is Grandmother?" Yan Shi asked, busy with her task.
"She merely caught a cold. She'll be fine after a couple of doses of medicine." Xiao Ling sat down beside Yan Shi.
"Elder Sister took your father to the upper courtyard. Did Grandmother trouble her?"
"No, Grandmother even gave elder sister her treasured medicinal ointment, telling her to use it well so as not to be left with scars." Xiao Ling picked up a finished shoe sole. The embroidery on the sole depicted mandarin ducks playing in water.
Yan Shi's hands paused for a moment, then, as if nothing had happened, she continued sewing shoe soles. "Eldest Sister is now like a shrewd person. She knows the Old Madam's soft spots are the General and the Eldest Young Master, and yet she holds both of them in her grasp."
"Mother, why did you go when Grandmother punished elder sister?"
Yan Shi sneered, "I just wanted to see how heartless your father truly is. I haven't done anything, and yet he stripped me of my authority. If I had truly done something, he would have eaten me alive."
Xiao Ling's eyes flickered. "I tested elder sister earlier. From her tone, Concubine Lin and Fourth Sister won't be returning anytime soon. Recovering Mother's authority to manage the household will be difficult."
"No rush. Yu Shi will return the authority to manage the household soon enough," Yan Shi said indifferently. "Your coming-of-age ceremony, although prepared, still requires many things to be arranged. Yu Shi has little experience with these matters and will inevitably be flustered. She will definitely have to ask me to preside over the grand occasion, and the authority to manage the household will naturally return to me."
"Coming-of-age ceremony..." Xiao Ling suddenly recalled Xiao Man's coming-of-age ceremony. The General's residence had entertained officials, and even her eldest brother had rushed back from Yunzhong City from a thousand miles away. The gifts received were piled high, filling Xiao Man's private storeroom.
She was also a legitimate daughter. This coming-of-age ceremony, if not as grand as Xiao Man's, wouldn't be too far off, would it?
"Don't worry, your coming-of-age ceremony will be no less than Xiao Man's!" Yan Shi put down her shoe sole and held Xiao Ling's hand. "My daughter will be inferior to no one."
"Tomorrow, when I pay my respects to Grandmother, I will remind her. With Grandmother's affection for me, she won't let me suffer any grievances," Xiao Ling said with a smile. "It's always better to reclaim the authority to manage the household sooner rather than later."
"Alright."
Every day, Xiao Xiang would visit Shuiyue Xiaozhu, playing chess and arranging flowers with Xiao Man. Once or twice, Xiao Zhen didn't pay much mind, but as the visits increased, he naturally became concerned.
One day, seeing Xiao Man and Xiao Xiang in the courtyard, directing maids to fumigate the house with mugwort and hang calamus on the door, he suddenly realized that the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching.
"It's almost the Dragon Boat Festival," Xiao Zhen's voice came from outside the door.
"Father is here. Isn't it almost the Dragon Boat Festival? If not for Second Sister reminding me, I would have forgotten. I've asked the maids to fumigate the house inside and out with mugwort," Xiao Man greeted him. "Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, there are dragon boat races on the moat. We can go out to watch the races then."
"Always thinking of fun," Xiao Zhen said, tapping Xiao Man's forehead. "Your injury hasn't healed. It's crowded everywhere, and if you jostle and split the wound, what then? You're not allowed to go."
Hearing this, Xiao Xiang covered her mouth and snickered, "Elder Sister, I told you you wouldn't be able to go out."
"If I can't go out, neither can you. You can come to my courtyard then and help me wrap zongzi!" Xiao Man retorted.
"Alright, I'll help you wrap zongzi. But, elder sister, do you know how to wrap zongzi?" Xiao Xiang teased.
Xiao Man's gaze drifted aside. "This young lady is naturally intelligent and learns by doing. Wrapping zongzi will be a piece of cake. Then Father can judge whose zongzi are both beautiful and delicious!"
Xiao Zhen, hearing this, nodded with approval. "As long as you're happy, anything is fine."
"Thank you, Father."
"If we're going to wrap zongzi, we need to prepare the things needed quickly, as it's only two days until the Dragon Boat Festival." Xiao Xiang instructed Yingxue on what needed to be prepared.
Xiao Zhen glanced at Xiao Xiang. "Your Second Sister is quite adept at managing the household."
"Third Concubine taught her. Although Third Concubine's family background is ordinary, she is very good at managing the household frugally. Second Sister has truly inherited Third Concubine's teachings; she's been a little manager since childhood."
Qiu Tong brought tea. The father and daughter sat in the courtyard, watching Xiao Xiang calmly direct the maids in the courtyard.
"Does she come to your place often?" Xiao Zhen asked.
"When I wasn't injured, she visited occasionally. After I was injured, she came more often, worried that the maids in my courtyard would be in disarray," Xiao Man said with a smile. "Speaking of which, Third Sister is coming of age this year. If I remember correctly, it should be after the Dragon Boat Festival."
Xiao Zhen thought carefully but couldn't recall his third daughter's birthday. After all, in the entire residence, besides the Old Madam, he only remembered the birthdays of Xiao Man and Xiao Luo. He hadn't paid attention to anyone else's birthday.
"It seems so."
After finishing her instructions to the maids, Xiao Xiang walked over. Hearing them talk, she immediately said, "Third Sister's birthday is on the ninth day of the fifth lunar month, a few days after the Dragon Boat Festival."
Xiao Zhen nodded, acknowledging the information, but showed no sign of taking it to heart.