Chapter 23: The Aunt's Visit

  Su Mojin quickly flashed back to Jin Garden.

  As soon as she entered the courtyard, Shuangxiao quickly came to greet her. Her face was still a bit pale, but her spirit was not bad. "Miss is back, just now Li Niang from Fuli Courtyard came." Su Mochen didn't pay attention to this, looking at Shuangxiao's thin body, frowned and said, "Didn't you rest? Why did you get out of bed again? You should rest well for two days."

  "In the garden, a new maid has just arrived and needs someone to train her. Madam Liu is usually busy with things, and I'm not feeling unwell anyway, so I'll help Miss train the new maids." She smiled and followed Su Mu Jin quietly, saying, "Madam Li has been waiting for you in the side hall for a long time. I told the little maid to find you at Qing Song Yuan, but Madam Li said you were busy with something and she would wait slowly!"

  Su Mojin's mind was racing quickly.

  This Lee aunt was personally arranged by mother when she was alive as a concubine for father, with a clean background and a gentle temperament. She is the illegitimate daughter of Li Daren, the governor of Beijing. After arriving at the Su family, she followed the rules and rarely made mistakes. The third young lady of the mansion, Su Yunjin, is Lee aunt's daughter.

  The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulate that all concubines and their children are under the name of the legitimate mother, and are raised by her. However, Liu Shi in the mansion had no children, so she was extremely resentful towards Li Niang, who had given birth to a child, and also disliked Su Yunjin, therefore she did not keep Su Yunjin by her side to teach and guide her.

  The Fuliang Courtyard in the mansion was where Father's concubines lived. Although Father had many concubines, only Li Niang gave birth to a dragon son. The others probably couldn't even recall Father's face. It was also due to Mother's arrangement that Li Niang was brought in, and of course, Li Niang's own cleverness played a part in it as well.

  Such a character is not to be underestimated, but she has no dealings with Li Niang in her daily life, what is she doing in Jin Garden at this time.

  "What was it for?!"

  Qingqiu shook her head, also somewhat puzzled. "Never!" She paused and continued, "However, Auntie brought two pieces of clothing and embroidered shoes, saying they were made personally for the young lady!"

  Su Mojin nodded to indicate that she understood.

  That day, after Liu was scolded by her father for falling into the water, although someone from the needlework room came to take her measurements, clothes couldn't be made in just one or two days. So she still wore her old clothes for these two days. But at this time, Li Shiniang sent over some new clothes and embroidered shoes!

  Is she trying to curry favor with him!

  "Go take a look!"

  She quickly passed through the corridor and arrived at the guest hall, where she saw a small maid standing at the door. The maid bowed her head from afar and greeted her with great respect. "Servant Zi Yu greets Young Miss! Auntie is already waiting for you inside."

  Su Mojin nodded, and the soft voice behind her explained, "......Liu Ya looked quite honest and simple, so she was placed by your side temporarily as a second-class servant. There is another one called Zi Luo in the house, Liu Ya mentioned that she would be serving tea and water as a second-class servant, let you use her for now!"

  She nodded slightly, and Zi Yu had already lifted the curtain, bowing her head and lowering her eyes to let Su Mu Jin enter the house.

  When Su Mochen entered the house, Li Niang was holding a cup of tea on the side seat, sitting upright and sipping tea with her small mouth. Next to her, her personal maid Qiu Shuang was holding two apricot-yellow skirts and undergarments. Seeing her enter the house, Li Niang quickly put down the teacup and stood up, respectfully greeting Su Mochen, "I pay my respects to you, young lady."

  She was respectful in her attitude but didn't appear servile, and her smiling face looked quite harmless.

  Su Mojin smiled and said, "Auntie is usually busy, how did you have time to come here and sit for a while?"

  Madam Li smiled lightly, she was indeed busy usually. After entering the mansion, according to the rules, a concubine did not have any dowry, but her birth mother was the favored concubine of Lord Li, the Governor of Beijing, and her father's family had strict rules, so although her stepmother didn't treat her with much affection, she never abused her either. Although she was a concubine, her father still gave her a lot of private money.

  Her maternal grandfather was a merchant in the capital, doing business in silk and tea. She didn't bring any dowry with her when she married, and initially, her husband's first wife treated her very kindly while she was still alive. However, after Liu was promoted to be his second wife, her life became difficult. So she sought help from her uncle, who used his connections and personal savings to open an embroidery shop for her in the capital. Now the business is doing very well, with 50 or 60 embroiderers employed. Every year, she can earn at least 3,000 to 4,000 taels of silver.

  Also, Liu was extremely displeased with her and always thought of ways to make things difficult for her. Now that Liu had been confined and injured her hand, she would often order Jiang to go and stand by the rules in front of her.

  "I heard that the young lady here has changed her hairstyle, so I came over to take a look and also made two dresses for the young lady." She took the neatly folded clothes from Autumn Frost's hands and handed them to Su Mu Jin, smiling brightly. "I didn't take the young lady's measurements, so I don't know if they'll fit or not." Looking at Su Mu Jin looking at the clothes in her hand, she smiled again. "The young lady has fair skin, and wearing apricot yellow makes her look even more pale and delicate. Moreover, the young lady is in her prime, and should wear more bright and beautiful colors. I don't know if the young lady likes it or not."

  "Thank you, auntie."

  Su Mojin personally took over the clothes, and the fabric felt soft and smooth to the touch. She pinched the clothes, feeling an unusually soft texture, and she exclaimed in surprise. When she unfolded the clothes for a closer look, she found that there was a layer of thin rabbit hair sewn inside.

  No wonder it's so soft. The fabric of the clothes is not printed, but embroidered with a branch of curved white plum blossoms, and the white plum blossoms are placed on the apricot yellow fabric, adding a touch of elegance. And the stitching is very fine and even, just one look and you can tell that it was made with care.

  Su Mojin couldn't help but glance at Li Yiniang and said, "You're really thoughtful, Auntie."

  Madam Li covered her mouth and smiled, "Who doesn't know that the eldest young lady of the mansion has exceptional embroidery skills? I'm just a mediocre person with trivial skills, giving it to someone else as a gift is still acceptable, but giving it to the eldest young lady would only be an insult."

  "If Auntie's embroidery skills are considered ugly, then the mothers in our estate's sewing room would be utterly humiliated."

  She knew that Aunt Li wouldn't come looking for her without a reason, so she didn't bother to exchange pleasantries with her. She handed the clothes over to Sheng Xiao and instructed, "Fold them neatly and put them away in the cabinet."

  Madam Li's eyes flashed, "It just so happens that I need to make two spring shirts for the old master recently. I heard that there are more flower patterns here, I wonder if you can lend them to me?"

  She was embroidering in the embroidery room, where would she lack flower patterns. Su Mu Jin didn't pick it apart either, and smiled, "Of course, let Qiu Shuang go with Song Xiao to the main house to get some."

  Zi Luo was also a clever person, seeing this situation knew that the young lady and her aunt had something to say, so she bowed and withdrew.

  Su Mojin glanced at Ziluo again.

  Only when they were the only two left in the house did Su Mochen gesture for Li Niang to sit down, and she herself sat down as well, slowly sipping a cup of hot tea, quietly waiting for Li Niang to speak.

  In an instant, a bitter smile appeared on Li's face.

  The big girl knew she wouldn't look for her without reason, and she also dismissed the people around her, but she just didn't want to speak up, it seemed like she wanted to take the dominant position.

  She gazed at Su Mojin with complex eyes, if her daughter could have half of her calmness, she wouldn't need to worry about anything.

  She let out a soft sigh and put down her teacup, speaking first in a conciliatory tone, "I suppose you also know why I've come here today!"

  "For three sisters!"

  Apart from Su Yunjin, Li Yinniang has no other requirements!

  Li Yinniang nodded in approval after glancing at Su Mochen, "That's right, it's all for Yun'er!"

  "Auntie has also seen it, I myself am in a precarious situation, let alone helping my third sister. Today, Auntie will probably make a wasted trip!"

  Digression

  Begging for comments ahhhhhhhhhhh, nobody reads the article, sob!