Part 1: A Dream Within A Dream / Rebirth of Ill Fated Concubine

Chapter 032 The House

The vacated yard was still being cleaned up, Xia Yan led Jiang Ruan into the hall first, and several concubines were still waiting for her in the hall. Jiang Susu was very happy along the way, and kept talking to Jiang Ruan about some interesting things at home. From a distance, they looked as harmonious as real sisters.

When they entered the hall, as Xia Yan said, several concubines had already arrived, and they all stood politely. Near the door, an older woman in a brown straight jacket and skirt smiled at Jiang Ruan softly: "Miss." 

Jiang Ruan's eyes swept over her. This girl's name was Lian Ye. When Zhao Mei got pregnant, she was a maid for Jiang Quan. Unfortunately, she had an ordinary appearance, was not favoured, and was not pregnant. She was just a decoration in the house. In Jiang's house, she was no different from other maids.

Jiang Ruan also smiled back. Jiang Li walked to a woman wearing a peach-coloured jacket and a long skirt embroidered with peony branches, and said coquettishly, "Auntie." 

The woman was also beautiful, with a pair of willow eyebrows raised slightly, and a high voice. She smiled and said, "Oh, isn't this the eldest lady? I was wondering what the lady asked us to do today. It turns out that the eldest lady has returned from the farm." 

Jiang Ruan ignored her harsh words. The second aunt was the concubine of the Minister of Personnel. It was just a win-over in the officialdom. Because of the face of the Minister of Personnel, the second aunt was also favoured in the mansion. Jiang Li, who was born by her, was very close to Xia Yan. 

She had been at odds with Jiang Ruan since she was a child. When Zhao Mei was still alive, she suffered a lot from the second aunt. Jiang Ruan's eyes fell on the girl standing alone on the side. This was Jiang Dan, born to the third aunt. The third aunt died after giving birth to Jiang Dan. 

When Zhao Mei was alive, Jiang Dan was raised by Zhao Mei. Later, Zhao Mei died and Jiang Dan disappeared. Jiang Ruan still remembered that Jiang Dan had not married when she entered the palace in her previous life, and there was no news of Jiang Dan later. She only remember that when she was in the mansion, Jiang Dan seemed to be quiet and taciturn.

The last woman was much younger than the other aunts. Jiang Ruan also remembered her. This young woman was also very capable. In the last life, she almost reached the point of competing with Xia Yan. Her name was Hongying. She was a prostitute in the place of fireworks. She was bought by Jiang Quan to be given as a gift to his superiors, but later he kept the aunt for himself. 

In the last life, she relied on Xia Yan wholeheartedly and was very disgusted with Hongying's attitude. Now seeing this situation again, she is very happy.

Hongying Guo was as beautiful as she was in her impression, but she didn't have any worldly airs. Instead, she looked exquisite and crystal-clear. No wonder Jiang Quan, who didn't like women, would look at her with new eyes. Who wouldn't like such a pure and innocent woman?

Except for the eldest and third aunts who died early, Xia Yan, who was made the legal wife by Jiang Quan, and all the aunts and concubines in the mansion were present at this moment.

Indeed, among all the beautiful women in the house, some were just acting for the occasion or just for the sake of novelty, but the one Jiang Quan really loved was Xia Yan. She was very skilled, and with her husband's love, it was difficult for her not to gain a foothold in the Jiang family. 

Xia Yan had a son and a daughter, Jiang Susu and Jiang Chao. Xia Yan explained: "The master took Chao'er to Lord Wang's house today, and Ruan'er might not see them until the evening." 

No wonder Jiang Chao was not seen in the hall. Jiang Quan wanted to bring Jiang Chao into the official career, and often took him to his colleagues' homes and taught him personally since he was a child, which was in stark contrast to his indifference to Jiang Xinzhi.

When she thought of her elder brother, Jiang Ruan's eyes stung slightly, and she unconsciously clenched her fists in her sleeves. She took a deep breath in her heart, and then she chuckled: "You don't have to do this for me. I'm originally from the Jiang Mansion, and going home is just like going home normally."

The people around her were all silent when they heard her words, and Jiang Susu laughed: "Big sister is right, but big sister has just returned to the mansion, and the mansion has changed a lot in the past few years. It's better to let the maids talk to big sister in detail later, so that big sister would know the way."

Jiang Li also laughed: "I'm afraid that big sister is used to the interesting mountain road, and she will be a little uncomfortable when she walks on the road of our Jiang Mansion again."

Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: "How could it be?"

How could it be, every blade of grass and every tree in the Jiang Mansion had long been deeply buried in her heart with the blood and tears of the previous life. Every person and every place here will always exist in her nightmares. Whenever she woke up from the nightmare of her previous life, every scene in the dream reminded her what kind of hell the Jiang Mansion was.

She planted a seed of revenge here, and now the seed is in the soil, waiting to sprout slowly.
…

Meiqing Courtyard was the courtyard where Zhao Mei lived in the past, and every plant and tree in it was carefully taken care of by Zhao Mei. The orientation inside is good, and the Feng Shui master has also come to see it, and it is blessed with all the blessings. After Zhao Mei's death, Ruanju was changed to Yanhuayuan, where Jiang Susu and her daughter lived.

The old woman Wang who led Jiang Ruan was someone close to Xia Yan. Her shrewd triangular eyes kept looking at Jiang Ruan and the other two, and she kept saying: "The eldest lady doesn't know that there are new people in the courtyard now, and the second lady is old, so she has also been divided into an independent courtyard. Now the house is tight, and the eldest lady's house was specially ordered by the lady. I wonder if the eldest lady likes it."

Lu Zhu walked and looked around. Because she was a new maid brought into the mansion, the servants around her only thought she was a country girl who had never seen the world and was surprised by the Jiang Mansion.
When they reached a courtyard, Wang Po smiled and said, "This is it."

Jiang Ruan looked around. The courtyard was not big, but she didn't have many servants around her, so it was more than enough. The house was clean. When she pushed the door and walked in, the house was clean and tidy, with all the furniture used. It was many times better than the manor.

Lian Qiao and Zi Su breathed a sigh of relief when they saw this, and helped to put the luggage down. Wang Po saw Jiang Ruan standing in the room thinking about something, and came forward and smiled, "Although this courtyard is a little off, it's quiet. The fourth lady's courtyard is not far from here. When she is free, the eldest lady can find a companion and won't be bored."

Jiang Dan? Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: "I think this courtyard is good. Thank my mother for me. However, since this is the courtyard I live in, I also want to change the name of the courtyard. Please tell my mother for me."

Nanny Wang smiled and agreed. Jiang Ruan walked out of the room again and came to the front door of the courtyard. There was a plaque hanging above the gate with three big characters on it: "Floating Duckweed Courtyard."

What a floating duckweed courtyard! Xia Yan can really read people's hearts. If these three ordinary words were placed in the previous life, she would definitely be sad for a long time. But now this floating duckweed courtyard should be renamed.

Nanny Wang came again in the evening. First, she wanted to tell Xia Yan that the courtyard would change the name given to her. Second, Jiang Quan and Jiang Chao came back late today, so they didn't eat together, so she could eat by herself.

The legitimate daughter returned home, but her father didn't even want to see her. You can imagine how cold and indifferent he was. 

After hearing what Wang Po said, Zi Su and Lian Qiao were both disappointed. Now the person closest to Jiang Ruan in the Jiang Mansion is Jiang Quan, but Jiang Quan has slapped her in the face like this. 

Jiang Ruan's future life must be more difficult than she imagined.

(End of this chapter)

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