After sending off Yun Shisan, Xu Jia got up to go to Furong Courtyard to see Mrs. Xu.
Beside Mrs. Xu was a stack of account books. She did not look at them, her eyes closed, as a maid gently massaged her from behind.
After Xu Jia ca in, she didn’t make a sound, exchanged a glance with the maid, gesturing for her to leave, and then stood behind Mrs. Xu to continue the massage.
Mrs. Xu praised, "The strength is good, much improved from before."
"If mother feels comfortable, how about I give you a massage every day?"
Hearing Xu Jia’s voice, Mrs. Xu quickly turned her head and saw her daughter’s smiling face.
"Jia’er, why are you here?" Mrs. Xu glanced at her, "Don’t even announce yourself, like a thief."
"Why pay so much attention to etiquette at ho?" Xu Jia continued her actions as she spoke, deliberately asking, "Or does mother already consider an outsider?"
Mrs. Xu chuckled slightly, "If I considered you an outsider, would I have let you co back ho so comfortably after ending your marriage?"
"Indeed." Xu Jia agreed, "That ans father and mother still care about ."
Mrs. Xu humd, "This sudden attentiveness from you isn’t without reason; tell ."
"I have sothing I’d like to give to mother." Xu Jia said, taking out the string of beads Yun Shisan had just given her from her sleeve, and waved it in front of Mrs. Xu.
Mrs. Xu looked carefully, "What kind of jade is this? The color looks quite flashy, and the beads are small; they don’t seem suitable for , better you keep them."
"This is made from Phoenix Blood Jade."
Xu Jia dared not ntion that she had transford the Jade Pendant from her grandmother into a bead string, saying only: "I asked the Divine Doctor; he said wearing it on the wrist not only wards off evil and ensures safety but also benefits the body. Wearing it does no harm, so take it, please."
Xu Jia moved to the side of the couch and personally helped Mrs. Xu to put it on her wrist.
Mrs. Xu eyed her, "How many Divine Doctors are there? What you encountered was a charlatan, wasn’t it?"
"What does it matter if it’s a Divine Doctor or a charlatan, so long as he didn’t swindle my money."
The mother and daughter chatted idly for a while, then Xu Jia suddenly said, "Mother, shall we bring Aunt Chang back? What do you think?"
Mrs. Xu was still admiring the bracelet on her wrist and asked casually, "Why think of Aunt Chang now?"
Xu Jia said, "She has been outside long enough, her health should have recovered, and Aunt Chang is close to you. With her back, you’d have soone to talk to."
"That’s true, but I’m afraid she might fall ill again upon her return." Mrs. Xu’s eyes were filled with worry.
Xu Jia smiled, "The New Year is approaching; it’s ti for our family to reunite."
"Ah, indeed." Mrs. Xu nodded and imdiately called in the head maid, instructing her, "Take a few people and go to the outlying estate to bring Aunt Chang back for the New Year."
After the head maid retreated, Mrs. Xu contentedly held Xu Jia’s hand, "My Jia’er has grown up, so ticulous in everything she does."
At the sa ti, she felt a pang of sorrow.
Previously, she had spent all day at ho imrsed in the martial arts field, ignoring everything else. After a month’s marriage, she transford entirely, testant to the severe constraints imposed on her.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Xu couldn’t help but regret, "It’s all my fault; I shouldn’t have agreed to the marriage with the Tang Family, which ended up causing you such harm."
Though the marriage was to fulfill the grandmother’s wish to see her granddaughter wed before her ti was up, Xu Jia didn’t bla her family, as her opinion was sought initially.
Perhaps because she was born into a military family and practiced martial arts, Xu Jia naturally had an indescribable fondness for scholars.
In her past life, when the Tang Family proposed, she had never seen Tang Yuan, only knowing he was a newly minted third-place scholar, thus held so hope for the match.
Then reality dealt her a brutal blow.
Reborn, she could not resist marrying into the Tang Family, and her only choice was to find a way to escape that cage, making the end of the marriage a relief for her.
Reflecting on this, Xu Jia sighed, "Mother, it’s truly not your fault; it’s just that he and I lack marital fate. Besides, aren’t I doing well now?"
Ending a marriage like this was quite common in Great Chu, and although it was surprising that Xu Jia and Tang Yuan ended their marriage just a month after their wedding, the talk faded from the public eye soon after.
Mrs. Xu held sowhat traditional views, "You’re still a young lady after all; you must marry eventually. Ah, back then I..."
"Mother, there you go again."
Xu Jia was a bit helpless, "Who says I must get married? As a daughter from a military family, I also wish to don armor and defend the nation on the battlefield like father, to protect the peace and happiness of the people; that would not make my years of hard training in vain!"
Mrs. Xu poked her forehead, "Listen to yourself, what nonsense is this? It’s ridiculous for girls to go to the battlefield!"
"Even Hua Mulan could take her father’s place in the army; why can’t I be a heroine of the ti?"
"Is that the sa thing?"
"Why not?" Xu Jia seriously debated with her mother, "Our family is a military family, but my brother only knows a smattering of martial skills; he’d be doing well to protect himself. You can’t expect him to carry on father’s legacy, right? I’m different from brother; I’ve been learning martial arts from father since I was young, and my foundation is solid. I dare not boast, but I can certainly fight five adversaries at once."
Mrs. Xu had heard enough to understand; her daughter was telling her in a roundabout way that she didn’t plan to remarry in this lifeti, making her feel both saddened and helpless, "My heart, how much grievance did you suffer at the Tang Family to beco like this?"
Xu Jia leaned into Mrs. Xu’s arms, "Mother, I really am fine. The daughters of the Xu Family don’t have to rely on n to get by. One day, I will prove it to you with my abilities."
Mrs. Xu gently caressed her hair, "I don’t ask you to perform any earth-shattering feats, just that you stay well, and that’s enough."
——
Aunt Chang returned to the manor the next day, wearing a brocade coat, with a fur cloak draped over her shoulders, and holding a hand-warr.
Imdiately after entering the manor, she went to Furong Courtyard to pay respects to Mrs. Xu.
Mrs. Xu quickly stepped forward to support her, "Among sisters, no need to be so formal, co on up."
Aunt Chang removed the hood from her head and lifted her gaze to Mrs. Xu, "It’s been so cold lately; has madam been well?"
"Good, good, everything is well with ."
Seeing her, Mrs. Xu’s face had more smiles.
Aunt Chang had planned to ask about Aunt Cao and Aunt Huo but decided to hold back, instead sitting down to have tea with Mrs. Xu.
During their chat, Mrs. Xu inquired about her situation at the outlying estate, and Aunt Chang answered everything, saying she had mostly recovered over the years.
Mrs. Xu said, "Since you’ve almost recovered, why not stay this ti without going back?"
"That’s exactly what I intend," Aunt Chang nodded.
Leaving Furong Courtyard, Aunt Chang went to see Xu Jia.
Xu Jia was sitting by the Waterside Pavilion feeding fish, and upon seeing Aunt Chang approaching from afar, she curved her lips, "You’ve been recuperating for so long; is your health better now?"
"Thank you for your concern, young lady. I’ve recovered about seventy to eighty percent."
Xu Jia smiled and invited her to sit, "Just returned, why don’t you rest in your room before coming to visit ?"
Aunt Chang was straightforward, "I heard that two new concubines have been added to the manor, granted by the Emperor?"
"Yes." Xu Jia nodded, "The Emperor thought our household had few descendants, so when my father was acclaid victorious and made a marquis, he bestowed those beauties."
Aunt Chang lowered her lashes, choosing not to respond.
"It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen them; living under the sa roof, you’ll run into them soon enough."
"It seems they’ve been causing problems for Mada, otherwise you wouldn’t have been so eager to bring back." Aunt Chang said, lifting her eyes after listening to Xu Jia.
Utc understanding Xu Jia’s unspoken words that those two new concubines were causing trouble, Aunt Chang imdiately recognized, being summoned surely served a purpose.
It was never comndable for the official wife to oppress the concubines, especially since they were conferred by the Emperor himself. As the main wife, Mrs. Xu had to show tolerance and magnanimity unless they committed a serious cri; otherwise, it would be rumor-worthy injustice.
Though Xu Jia could have dealt with it, she had no standing.
Even though she was the daughter who returned after ending her marriage, and her parents cherished and spoiled her, she was still a guest in this house to so degree and should not interfere with family affairs.
Only Aunt Chang could openly confront those two.
"""
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