Binding Spring Love

Song Wan's gaze swept across the small square table, then she smiled and said, "I'm relieved that Mother is in good health. If the old lady knew, she would be very happy and would probably feel much better."

Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother's lips trembled slightly. Only then did she remember that her mother-in-law was still ill. It was truly improper for her, as a daughter-in-law, to be playing around with the servants.

"Grandma's here, why aren't you putting this away?"

Hua Mei quickly packed up the things and then said to Song Wan, "Please forgive me, Madam. I was just being playful and got carried away, so I dragged the two concubines here to play."

"Madam is still ill, and I thought it would be good for her to get some exercise. I know I was wrong."

"Not at all. It's good to keep your mother entertained during her illness. You deserve a reward."

Hengzhi took two silver coins from her purse and handed them to Huamei: "Please trouble you, sister, to buy some candy for the other sisters to sweeten their mouths."

"Oh dear, thank you very much, Madam."

Seeing Jiang's mother nod, Huamei happily accepted it, turned around and walked out.

Song Wan sat on a low stool under Jiang's mother's bed, looking at Jiang's mother who had wrapped a cotton towel around her forehead and whose face had returned to its sickly state, and asked, "Mother, are you feeling any better now?"

Lin Jiayue chuckled and added, "Madam was feeling better just now, but she's not feeling so well again now that she's seen the eldest madam."

Song Wan pretended not to hear and said to Jiang's mother, "Now that I'm no longer in charge of the household, I'm quite free, but I still worry about you, Mother. So I was thinking that if you're still not feeling well, why don't I help you out for a few more days? What do you think?"

"That's for sure..."

Just as Jiang's mother was about to agree, Lin Jiayue interrupted her.

"Has the eldest daughter-in-law stopped managing household affairs?"

"Yes, because of the anger of the Pingjin Township Earl's Mansion, I agree to the other party's request to fast and recite scriptures for Madam Cheng for forty-nine days."

Song Wan's tone was calm and gentle, without the slightest hint of resentment at being implicated. Lin Jiayue's lips twitched, and she forced a smile, saying, "No wonder the head housekeeper has been coming to see me so often these past few days."

Upon hearing the barbed words between the two, Jiang's mother felt a headache coming on: "Huaisu, stay and help me massage my forehead. As for the two of you, you can both go back. My head is throbbing badly, and I really can't take care of you."

"Then I won't bother you any longer, Mother. If you feel unwell, please tell me."

"I see."

Jiang's mother turned her back to Song Wan, clearly indicating that she was seeing her off.

After bowing, Song Wan quietly left Jiang's mother's bedroom, and Lin Jiayue followed her out, biting her lip.

"What is Aunt Lin laughing at?"

Lin Jiayue frowned: "When did I laugh? And even if I did laugh, so what? It's none of your business."

Song Wan lowered her eyes, her tone cold: "I thought you were so stupid that you even misspelled Madam Cheng's name, but it turns out you were doing this for today."

"Even if I no longer manage the household affairs and stop taking charge of the family, the Marquis would rather hand over the power of managing the household to the Madam than to you. What is there for you to be proud of?"

"Oh."

Lin Jiayue's eyelids twitched. She didn't know whether to agree or not, so she could only let out a cold laugh.

After Song Wan finished speaking, she returned to Lan Courtyard with Hengzhi and Hengwu, while Lin Jiayue stood silently in the courtyard for a long time, gritting her teeth.

"It's too sunny, why don't you go back to Xiuyan Pavilion, Auntie?"

"Okay, let's go back. I'll make you some ice cream to cool you down when we get back."

Lin Jiayue, holding her personal maid Qianbi's hand, strolled back to Xiuyan Pavilion.

Back at Xiuyan Pavilion, Lin Jiayue felt very sad.

Song Wan is right. Jiang Xingjian would rather hand over the power of managing the household to his incompetent and foolish mother than give it to her, which really makes her unable to smile.

But she was too ashamed to tell Jiang Xingjian that she wanted to take over the household.

"Qianbi, there's a carpenter in the manor, right?"

"Of course, Auntie wants to make flower arrangement cards again?"

"No, I want to play mahjong."

Lin Jiayue pulled her hair up and quickly sketched on a piece of paper with a charcoal pencil. Since she could use modified flower cards to get close to Jiang's mother, she could use the national treasure of horse racing to win back Jiang's mother's heart.

Nothing brings people closer together than at the card table.

After drawing the basic shape of the horse-drawn carriage, Lin Jiayue hurriedly asked Qinghong to send it to the carpenter in the mansion. As soon as it was finished in the evening, she went to Jiangxiang Courtyard alone under the cover of night.

Jiang's mother was initially reluctant to let her play this useless game with her, but after hearing how to play it and playing a couple of rounds reluctantly, she became completely addicted and played it with great enjoyment, unable to sleep at night.

Even in their dreams, they would think about how to win and how to make their hand.

Lin Jiayue was always sweet-talking and liked to feed Jiang's mother cards. In just a few days, she had Jiang's mother completely under her thumb, and the two were just like a real mother and daughter.

After playing all night for several days, Jiang's mother was so exhausted that she fell ill. Lin Jiayue took this opportunity to offer to help Jiang's mother manage the Marquis's mansion.

"She wanted to manage the household, and although I declined, I really couldn't stand dealing with these trivial matters. The old lady was ill for a long time this summer, and now she spends most of the day dozing off, in a daze, not knowing what day it is."

Jiang's mother said to Huaisu, "Although Song Wan said she could take over the household management that day, she was clamoring a few days ago that she wouldn't care about this or that. Now that she's actually handing over power, she's saying such soft words. Isn't it because she's reluctant to let go?"

"Besides, I don't want to give her back so easily, as if the Marquis's mansion would cease to function without her. Moreover, she's useless; she hasn't even shared a room with Yi'er yet, so it seems Yi'er truly dislikes her."

"As for Aunt Lin... I don't trust her to handle things properly."

"You came from the old lady's room and have taken care of Yi'er since childhood. You are the person I trust the most in this mansion."

"Tell me, to whom should the power to manage this household be handed over?"

Huaisu bowed her head to massage Jiang's mother's legs, and upon hearing this, she smiled gently and said, "Let me tell you, it would be better to hand it over to Aunt Lin."

"Oh? Why?"

"The Marquis dotes on Consort Lin, and it seems that the management of the household will eventually be handed over to her. Although Consort Lin has made some mistakes in the past, the more mistakes she makes, the more cautious she will be in the future."

"The Marquis has also figured out Consort Lin's temperament and will give her pointers from the side."

Jiang's mother nodded: "What you said makes some sense."

"Besides, Aunt Lin is in charge of the household affairs, and with you, Madam, overseeing things, she shouldn't cause any more trouble. As for minor mistakes, a few are normal; over time, she'll learn from them."

Jiang's mother pursed her lips: "Then what do you think Song Wan will do in the future?"

Huaisu said, "The eldest mistress is in the mansion. If Concubine Lin is truly incompetent, then the household affairs can be returned to the eldest mistress. However, if Concubine Lin can manage the household independently, it will be beneficial to both the madam and the marquis's mansion."

"At that time, we won't be controlled or threatened by anyone."

Jiang's mother nodded repeatedly: "If Aunt Lin really learns how to manage the household, she and Song Wan can check and balance each other, and then we won't have to worry about what tricks those two will pull."

Looking at the gentle and kind Huaisu, Jiang's mother sighed, "Good child, every word you say touches my heart."

Jiang's mother took out a jade bracelet with excellent clarity from her makeup box and forced it onto Huaisu's wrist.

After helping Jiang's mother to sleep, Huaisu returned to Xiuyan Pavilion with the jade bracelet in her hands.

Shi Zhu, who had grown up with her since childhood and was now her personal maid, asked in a low voice, "Why did you let that person manage the Marquis's mansion, sister? No one among the servants likes her."