If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Compared to her previous life in the Wang family's den of wolves, Xi Lingxian felt that her grandmother, Qu Shi, was not so repulsive.

Moreover, in her previous life, the grandmother and granddaughter eventually grew to hate each other, and her unforgiving temper played a significant role in that.

The father was caught in the middle, torn between two conflicting interests, while the Yu mother and daughter were secretly taking advantage of the situation.

The foolish things I did in my past life, I won't do again in this one.

Before going to bed that night, Xi Lingxian specifically told Taozhi to wake her up early the next day.

Taozhi clearly sensed that since the young lady fell into the water, she had been given more trust and importance than before. Feeling grateful, she naturally became even more devoted and loyal.

The lights in the main room of Qiluan Pavilion were turned off, and Granny Zhou with a gloomy and inscrutable expression retreated to the corridor.

Seeing that no one was around, Cailing quietly approached. "Granny, the young lady has been acting strangely lately. All the chores I used to do have been given to Taozhi. That's fine, they're both head maids, and Taozhi does a lot of work, so I'm happy to be idle and get paid well. But what's the meaning of this? The young lady was strolling in the garden at night, and in just a few minutes, she promoted a third-class maid to serve tea and water. What's going on?"

Even among maids, there were different ranks and grades. The head maids who served the women closely were considered almost like half a maid in the household.

Normally, they only need to serve their daughters with bathing and washing, and serve tea and water. They don't need to do any strenuous work. Because they are the ones who show their faces most often in front of their masters, they have the best food, clothing and daily necessities.

With such advantages in mind, the second- and third-class maids in the mansion were all eager to rise in rank.

However, the head maids around the girls were chosen from childhood and grew up with them. They had a deep bond with the girls and would not easily abandon them unless they committed a serious mistake.

Cailing and Taozhi have always been the top people in Qiluan Pavilion. Because Taozhi is gentle and easy to talk to, Cailing often has the upper hand.

Xi Lingxian's promotion of a third-class maid to stand alongside her at this time was tantamount to slapping her in the face.

Granny Zhou's expression was complicated. "This young lady is the mistress. Does she need to report to you about what she does?"

Cailing was indignant no matter how she thought about it, "But the rules and regulations of the household are there. According to the rules, unmarried girls can only have two personal maids. It is too irregular for young ladies."

Granny Zhou scolded her with exasperation, "What kind of temper does this young lady have? When have the rules of the manor ever been able to restrain her? You can say these things to me, but if they get back to the young lady, I can't protect you."

As soon as she finished speaking, a young maidservant, about twelve or thirteen years old, slowly walked over carrying bedding.

She was a maidservant whom Xi Lingxian had just promoted today, and her mistress had given her the new name Caiping.

Today, an exception was made to allow the color screen to stay up all night.

Caiping was a cheerful and outgoing person. When she saw Granny Zhou and Cailing, she smiled generously and said, "Hello, Granny Zhou. Hello, Sister Cailing."

Cai Ling scoffed, "You rascal, you're usually so quiet, but you're already fawning over a lady just for a stroll in the garden? Bah! Don't you even look at yourself in the mirror? You think you're good enough to serve tea and water?"

Cai Ping blinked. "Sister Cai Ling is joking. Everyone in Qi Luan Pavilion respects the ladies. I was just doing my job."

Granny Zhou glared at Cailing, "Shut up, don't disturb the young lady's rest."

Cailing glared at Caiping and helped Granny Zhou to the back room to rest.

Taozhi took in all of this and, under the pretense of changing the tea in the room, went in to report to Lingxian.

"Young lady, you really did predict that, Cai Ling, she..."

Lingxian squeezed Taozhi's chubby little hand. "Don't make a fuss. Let's see what other tricks she can pull. By the way, don't let her make all the decisions. You and she were both head maids of Qiluan Pavilion. There's no reason for you to have to listen to her."

Tao Zhi's eyes were moist and slightly red.

Although she and Cailing were both head maids, Cailing was clever and eloquent, and was very popular with the young lady's wet nurse, Granny Zhou. Even the young lady used to only take Cailing out.

They have the same status, but whoever is favored by their master naturally has more face.

Lingxian also thought of this and sighed softly, "I'm sorry you suffered for what happened in the past."

Taozhi shook her head: "I am not wronged. It is my clumsiness that is to blame. I cannot blame anyone else."

"Alright, after this incident, you should be more careful around Granny Zhou and Cailing from now on, and don't be foolish enough to be taken advantage of."

Although Taozhi didn't understand why the young lady suddenly became suspicious and wary of Granny Zhou and Cailing, the facts just now proved that Cailing was indeed problematic.

The young woman was intelligent and perceptive; she simply obeyed and did as instructed.

Tuck the peach branch into the corner of the quilt and go out.

Xi Lingxian looked up at the top of the tent and recalled Cai Ling's face in her previous life.

"Young lady, please don't blame me. You like Young Master Wang so much, so you can understand how much I like the Third Young Master. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. You didn't have the ability to win over Young Master Wang to protect you, nor did you have the ability to make Madam Yu and the Third Young Master truly accept you."

Lingxian turned over, a smile playing on her lips.

Since that's the case, I'll start with you.

……

That night, Xi Lingxian had her first good night's sleep since her rebirth.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, she woke up on her own without the maids having to call her.

After dressing and washing up, she went to Shou'an Hall to pay her respects to her grandmother.

Just after having her morning tea, when she heard from the maid that the eldest young lady had come to pay her respects, she almost doubted that she had heard correctly.

It wasn't until the old nanny beside her confirmed repeatedly that it was indeed her eldest granddaughter, who had always been arrogant and never respected her as her grandmother.

"The sun must have risen in the west! What's this girl up to?"

Granny Zhang: "I can't explain it clearly, Madam. Should we let the eldest young lady in?"

"Let her in. Whatever her intentions, I'm not afraid of a little girl like her."

With Zhang Mama's help, Madam Qu sat down in the head seat. Soon after, Madam Yu arrived with Xi Yao, Xi Song, and Xi Hui.

Mrs. Qu smiled and said, "It seems everyone has come today."

Xi Yao, holding a handkerchief, said with a smile, "It's really a rare sight today to see you, sister, come to pay your respects to Grandmother at this hour. It's so unusual."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Madam Yu, "Mother, don't you agree?"

Madam Yu gave her a reproachful look. "Your sister is straightforward and has never liked these formalities. You've known that for a long time."

Xi Hui looked up at Xi Lingxian, then sat quietly, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Xi Song's gaze shifted between Ling Xian and Xi Yao, her lips tightening slightly.

Lingxian ignored the mother and daughter and looked at Madam Qu with a sincere expression: "Grandmother, I was ignorant before. I thought the rules of morning and evening greetings were tedious and often talked back to you, making you angry. I apologize to you. If you are still angry, I will hit or scold you without complaint."

Leaning against the pillow, Madam Qu looked at her granddaughter, who was unusually meek and submissive, and her suspicions remained undiminished.

She cleared her throat. "The fact that you came today shows you've matured quite a bit, but..."

She paused, her gaze falling on Lingxian's face with a scrutinizing look, her tone full of admonition, "Which daughter of an official family doesn't learn feminine virtues and manners from a young age, serving her elders morning and evening? But you, relying on your father's favor, have always been unconventional, and you never listen to a word I say to you."

Lingxian lowered her eyes, looking like she was obediently listening to a lecture.

Seeing this, Madam Qu's tone became even harsher, "Your daughter is a precious guest in the family. I don't object to your father spoiling you, but being too spoiled is not necessarily a good thing for you. With your temperament, you can't stand the slightest grievance, and you make a scene over the slightest dissatisfaction. Do you think outsiders don't know all this? Once your reputation spreads, I'd like to see which young man would dare to marry you when it comes to marriage proposals."

When it comes to marriage, the words can get a bit harsh.

Xi Yao lowered her eyes, but couldn't help but curl her lips slightly upwards.

Yu held her teacup, her expression unchanged, but a fleeting hint of smugness flashed in her eyes.

Having received prior instructions from Xi Lingxian, Xi Song kept a close eye on the Yu mother and daughter from the moment he sat down, and indeed sensed that something was amiss.

If there were five or six points of suspicion before that the three members of the Yu family were not right, today there are eight or nine points.

Xi Lingxian listened quietly to the old lady's remarks about being a good wife and mother.

In her past life, she had heard this many times. Every time, she felt resentful that no one spoke up about the good-for-nothings of the aristocratic families, no one criticized them for not being able to find wives if they did not keep themselves pure. Instead, they criticized the women who already had a hard time.

She would argue with these words every time she heard them in her past life. Those people couldn't win the argument with her, so they gave her the reputation of "disrespecting elders".

Even now, she still doesn't think her grandmother's words are right.

There's no need to argue anymore.

"Grandmother is right," she said softly. "In the past, I was willful and reckless because I relied on my father's favor. Over the years, I have caused you so much worry. I am also being unfilial."

Ms. Qu was taken aback.

She was prepared for the girl to talk back and be defiant, and even prepared how to punish her if she talked back again, but she didn't expect that the girl would just accept it.

She opened her mouth, then suddenly thought of inviting a highly accomplished Taoist master to her home to perform a ritual to exorcise evil spirits.

Madam Yu's smile froze for a moment, then she smiled and said, "Grandma, it's good that the eldest daughter knows she was wrong. The child is still young and will always be a little ignorant at times. We, as elders, will teach her slowly."

Xi Yao almost lost her smile.

"By the way, sister, I heard that you promoted a third-class maid to serve you personally last night."

Lingxian smiled enigmatically, "My sister really seems to have eyes and ears everywhere when it comes to what's going on in my courtyard."

Xi Yao said innocently, "I heard it from the maid on my way here this morning. Sister, you don't know, but the news has already spread. After all, there are so many people who are envious of the allowance for a first-class maid. Who wouldn't be envious of such a good thing? But sister, it's not in accordance with the rules that your courtyard suddenly has an extra allowance for a first-class maid."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Madam Qu, "Grandmother, don't you think so? Although our family can afford the allowance for a maid, there can be no order without rules. If you break the rules so easily, how will the masters of the house manage their servants in the future?"

"Is this true?" Madam Qu stared at Lingxian, her eyes slightly furrowed.

Madam Yu sighed, looking exhausted from the worries of the head of the household. "Eldest daughter, promoting a maid is a small matter, but the allowances for each courtyard are rules set by our ancestors. If one place breaks the rules, the other courtyards will follow suit, and this family will be difficult to manage."

"Grandmother and Madam, please don't worry, I have my reasons."

"Cailing, who is in my household, is twenty-three years old this year. She has served me for many years and has worked hard, even if she has not done anything great. I think it is time for her to be married off. With Cailing gone, there will be one less person in my household. Rather than buying someone from outside, it would be better to select someone I like and promote her. I have been observing Caiping for some time. She is diligent and honest. Promoting her would fill the vacancy left by Cailing."

"As for the allowance, once Cailing leaves, her allowance naturally disappears. The total allowance remains the same, and the rules haven't been broken."

Qu's gaze swept over Ling Xian's face. This girl was reasonable and well-founded, and it was rare for her not to make a mistake.

"Alright, these are trivial matters. If you have your own ideas, then go ahead."

The family had finally been at peace for a few days, and the girl had shown some filial piety, so Madam Qu was reluctant to cause trouble for a maid again.

"I'm tired, you can all go back."

"Three days from now is the birthday banquet of the old lady of the Wang family. Early this morning, a servant of the Wang family delivered the invitation. The Wang family banquet is a very important event, so you must be careful with your words and actions and not break the rules and invite ridicule."

Everyone agreed and rose to take their leave.