Binding Spring Love

"What happened?"

Jiang Yan frowned and asked, Su Mian replied, "I heard from the old women in the manor that the young lady that Master brought back had a quarrel in the Embroidery Pavilion."

"Go to Jiang Xing's room and find a maidservant. Find an excuse to go and take a look."

It should be crisp and soft; I went to Lantingyuan.

Many maids and servants in Lan Courtyard gathered in front of Xiuyan Pavilion. It turned out that Lin Jiayue had made a fuss because she knew that Huaisu had also been promoted to a concubine and that her status was even higher than hers.

"Is this how the Marquis's mansion treats its savior? They inexplicably married a widow, and now they're sending a servant to slap me in the face?"

"Aunt Lin's words are quite interesting. Where do you get the nerve?"

The speaker was Qi Shun's wife, the head of the attendants' quarters. She had been quite happy when Old Madam Jiang assigned her to be Lin Jiayue's tutor.

Jiang Xingjian's inheritance of the title was inevitable, and the fact that he was able to withstand the pressure from both families to bring Lin Jiayue back showed that this girl was extremely favored. A noblewoman like Song Wan would inevitably be married with members of the Song family, making it difficult for these women to become close confidantes of the matriarch. Originally, they thought it best to cultivate a good relationship with Lin Jiayue so she could benefit from it in the future, but little did they know this man was a fool.

"If a girl from a humble family is innocent and virtuous, we might give her some face and look at her with more respect. But what are you? Even the lowly maids in our household know to avoid men, yet you, at such a young age, have already lost your chastity. You have truly disgraced our ancestors."

"You're talking nonsense! When have I ever lost my innocence?"

Lin Jiayue was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes.

These days, everyone in the mansion, from the masters to the servants, looks down on her. They can't hide their contemptuous looks. They say she's promiscuous because she eloped with Jiang Xingjian. She's heard so many nasty things. Heaven knows she and Jiang Xingjian have never even kissed.

"My God, how much more shame do you want? A young lady, without any matchmaker or betrothal, is roaming with a man, how much more shame do you want?"

"What do you mean, 'misbehave'? When did I ever misbehave with him?"

As soon as she said this, all the old women and the maids watching the commotion pursed their lips, and some even secretly covered their mouths and sneered.

Lin Jiayue felt a pang of panic, realizing then where the problem lay.

Thinking about the phrases she had heard most often these days, such as "no matchmaker, no betrothal, no name exchange," Lin Jiayue suddenly realized that what she considered ordinary interactions were seen by these people as a loss of chastity and promiscuity.

The women in these noble families were probably considered promiscuous and unchaste even if they just met and spoke a word to a man.

Lin Jiayue felt a buzzing in her head, and a wave of dizziness almost made her lose her footing.

Seeing this, Jiang Xingjian's wet nurse, Granny Li, stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, what kind of behavior is this? Everyone, get back to what you were doing."

She chased away the onlookers and stepped forward to look Lin Jiayue up and down.

"Although you have made a grave mistake, you are now a member of the Marquis's household. If you learn the proper etiquette and serve the master and mistress well, you can make amends for your mistake."

"You want me to serve people? Dream on."

She's an educated person with hands and feet, why would you ask her to do something so subservient?

Lin Jiayue had no intention of obediently listening and was about to retort when Li Mama grabbed her waist and pinched it hard. She had never been insulted like this before, and the sharp pain in her waist made her unable to hold back her anger any longer.

Unable to contain her anger, Lin Jiayue rolled up her sleeves and slapped Granny Li across the face.

Hengwu was secretly watching the commotion from behind the artificial hill in Xiuyan Pavilion when she saw this scene and almost dropped her jaw in shock.

She covered her mouth, glanced at Granny Li, then at Lin Jiayue, and suddenly tiptoed back to the main courtyard of Lanting.

"Miss, Miss..."

"Why are you so irritable? Grandma is taking a nap."

Hengwu raised a finger to her lips and quietly pulled Hengzhi into the brocade gauze curtain where Song Wan was taking a midday rest.

"Miss, are you asleep?"

Song Wan lifted the pomegranate-red floral curtain and said softly, "You haven't gone to sleep yet, how can this be?"

Seeing her get up, Hengzhi squatted down to help her change into thick-soled soft shoes for indoor wear, and then found a begonia-colored gauze jacket for her to change into. Song Wan smiled and opened the jade-painted and gold-inlaid comb box on the dressing table, picked out a lotus-patterned crescent comb and a round-headed hairpin and handed them to her.

Hengzhi picked up a small piece of osmanthus oil, rubbed it gently in her palm, and soon the room was filled with a faint floral fragrance.

Seeing that Hengwu was panting, Song Wan offered her some tea to help her catch her breath.

With her breathing steady, Hengwu said, "Miss, that Aunt Lin is quite something. She was just like this..."

With a raised arm, Hengwu imitated Lin Jiayue's manner to show Song Wan: "Slap! It landed on Granny Li's cheek with a loud slap, which scared me so much that I ran back immediately."

"what?"

Hengzhi was so startled that she dropped the comb in her hand, and even Song Wan was stunned for a moment.

This matter is so shocking that words fail to describe it.

"Besides those rough old women in the manor, the last time I heard of someone slapping someone was more than ten years ago, when the concubine of the third son of our master beat up a little maid in the manor out of jealousy."

"I originally thought that Consort Lin's background was not prominent, but now I think it must be quite unbearable."

Song Wan frowned, somewhat puzzled as to how Jiang Xingjian had gotten involved with Lin Jiayue.

In wealthy and courteous families like the Hou and Song mansions, no one, regardless of gender or illegitimate status, would ever act in such a tantrum. Families of officials value their reputation above all else; since their ancestors established their clans and mansions, the greatest taboo they have ever encountered is someone who commits such a dissolute and reckless act.

No matter how wicked a master may be, there is no reason for him to publicly criticize his servants and openly humiliate them.

Noble ladies from wealthy families, who spend most of their time in the inner quarters, always show more kindness than authority towards their servants, never mistreating them. Even the worst ancestral precepts of aristocratic families will always include a clause on treating subordinates with leniency.

If a member of a family becomes domineering, the entire family of daughters will be implicated.

This is a rare occurrence today.

Moreover, Granny Li's status was quite different. Not to mention that she was part of Jiang's mother's dowry, she was also Jiang Xingjian's wet nurse. With the kindness of nurturing and the bond of being half a mother, even if she met Jiang Xingjian, she would have to restrain her temper in her words and actions, let alone take a beating.

Even if the Marquis were alive, he wouldn't dare to put on such an air.

Song Wan, Hengwu, and Hengzhi looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

After a long while, Song Wan said, "That Aunt Lin has acted outrageously. You must not get involved with her. From today onwards, do not approach any noise from Xiuyan Pavilion."

Huaisu resides in Xiuyan Pavilion; she will discuss any issues with Jiang Xingjian.

The bond between her and Jiang Xingjian was already weak; if Lin Jiayue caused even this superficial affection to crumble, it would likely make things even more awkward for the Jiang and Song families.

The master and servants were talking in the room when Green Bamboo quietly entered after asking them a question.

Green Bamboo said, "Madam sent more than a dozen maids and servants to Embroidery Pavilion."

Song Wan pursed her lips, thinking to herself that Lin Jiayue was probably going to suffer some hardship.