“Madam, the Marquis has returned.”

  Jingzhe looked a little pale as she lifted the curtain and stepped inside, followed by a man in disheveled yet luxurious robes.

  The Marquis of Anyuan was tall and not bad-looking in terms of features, but his unsteady gait and the dark circles around his ears made it obvious—he had been indulging far too much.

  Jiang Fuyue snapped out of her thoughts and gnced briefly at the marquis. Before he could speak, she said calmly, “Take five hundred taels of silver from the accounts and give them to the Marquis.”

  Jingzhe bit her lip, as if wanting to say something, but upon meeting Jiang Fuyue’s gaze, she could only reply reluctantly, “Yes, madam,” and turned to leave.

  The marquis raised his eyebrows at her decisiveness. “That’s unusually generous of you. What’s the catch?”

  “You should take better care of your health, my lord,” Jiang Fuyue replied in her usual composed manner. “Things aren’t what they used to be here in the household—it’s best to practice some restraint.”

  Having said her customary piece, she poured herself a cup of tea and quietly watched the clear liquid in the cup.

  Since Jingzhe would take a while at the accounts, the Marquis plopped himself into the chair near the door and didn’t bother stepping any farther in. “So direct—that’s not like you at all. What are you up to?”

  This woman was always tight-fisted, constantly lecturing him under the guise of looking out for him. Where had all that money she “saved” gone?

  Jiang Fuyue simply smiled. “You’ve misunderstood, my lord. It was the Old Madam who said you’re a free spirit and hate being controlled. I’m merely doing as she wished.”

  “Really?” He eyed her suspiciously.

  She nodded. “Yes. If you ever need silver, just come home and get it. If you can’t make the trip, have a servant come. As for the concubines in the back courtyard, I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with them yourself—I wouldn’t dare overstep.”

  The Marquis spped his thigh in satisfaction. “This is how it should’ve been all along!”

  She was his wife—of course she should treat him as her world and obey him in everything.

  He gnced at Jiang Fuyue again. Strangely enough, she looked more pleasing to the eye than usual today.

  Jiang Fuyue lowered her head to sip her tea, hiding the sneer in her eyes.

  In her previous life, she had pleaded with him to stay away from debauchery, not to disgrace the marquis title that the old marquis had earned through blood and sweat on the battlefield. But the Marquis found her nagging, suspected her motives, and grew even more unrestrained. Worse, he told the Old Madam it was her fault for pressuring him.

  The Old Madam called her in and harshly rebuked her, telling her to focus on managing the household and stop meddling in men’s affairs. The scolding was so severe it nearly included pointing fingers in her face, accusing her of being a burden to her precious son.

  But that wasn’t even the worst of it.

  She had poured her heart and soul into running the estate—dutiful to her mother-in-w, nurturing to the illegitimate children. She maintained the house fwlessly and earned a sterling reputation for the Jiang women as virtuous, capable wives.

  Her younger sisters all married well because of it. But none of them respected her. On the contrary, they whispered behind her back, calling her spineless.

  She wore herself down before she even turned forty—body and spirit alike—and what did she get? A husband who resented her, a mother-in-w who treated her like a servant, and sisters who only saw her submissiveness, never understanding why she did it all.

  Her entire life had become a cruel joke.

  How could she not hate them? How could she ever be at peace?

  Just then, Jingzhe returned with the silver note. “My lord, madam, here are the five hundred taels—”

  Before she could finish, the Marquis snatched it from her hand, quickly counted it, and left without a word.

  Neither Jiang Fuyue nor the maids batted an eye—they were used to this.

  Jingzhe looked down at the fingers the Marquis had touched and excused herself to go wash with soap pods.

  Guyu giggled. “Looks like she’s going to scrub with a whole pod again before she’s satisfied!”

  “If she hears you, you’ll be the one handing him the money next time,” Jiang Fuyue warned with a side gnce.

  Startled, Guyu immediately covered her mouth and peeked out the door to make sure Jingzhe was gone before patting her chest in relief.

  Who knew where the Marquis’s hands had been after all that time in brothels?

  Let Jingzhe handle that mess.

  Jiang Fuyue was quietly grateful. Thankfully, the Marquis only liked fmboyant women and thought she was too dull. He found her nagging annoying and never consummated the marriage. She had no feelings for him either, so they never had children.

  If they had...

  She shook her head, unwilling to follow that thought.

  Just then, another maid entered and bowed respectfully through the beaded curtain. “Madam, the Old Madam requests your presence.”

  “I understand.”

  Jiang Fuyue set down her teacup, changed her clothes, and since Jingzhe hadn’t returned yet, took Guyu with her.

  On the way, Guyu whispered, “Whenever the Old Madam calls you over, it’s never good news. I wonder what it is this time…”

  “Good or bad, we must go,” Jiang Fuyue said calmly. “Once we leave the Shaoguang Courtyard, watch your tongue. If she hears that, you’ll be the one getting scolded.”

  Guyu shut her mouth at once and obediently followed.

  The Songshou Courtyard wasn’t far—just two turns along the garden path.

  It was a spacious courtyard with a square yout. In the center stood a towering luohan pine tree. Under the veranda sat a middle-aged woman, around forty, reclining on a lounge chair and fanning herself leisurely.

  She was slender, with high cheekbones and neatly pinned hair adorned with jade and gold ornaments. Dressed in a deep sandalwood robe, her air was one of refined dignity and wealth.

  Jiang Fuyue approached and curtsied. “Daughter-in-w greets Mother.”

  The Old Madam gave her a dismissive gnce and tidied her hair. “I heard Yier came back?”

  “Yes,” Jiang Fuyue answered, straightening up. “He took five hundred taels and left.”

  The Old Madam narrowed her eyes. “Went to the brothel again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tsk!” The Old Madam clicked her tongue as if she had caught her in the act. “You’re his wife! He’s out carousing every day, and you don’t even try to stop him. What use are you?!”

  Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly. “But didn’t you once say my husband is free-spirited and hates being restrained? I dare not go against your advice.”

  “You—!” The Old Madam sat up in disbelief. “Are you saying I was wrong?”

  In the past, this girl had never dared speak back. What had gotten into her today?

  “Madam must be exhausted from managing the household,” Liu Momo interjected smoothly, arriving with tea. “Surely it was a slip of the tongue. Old Madam, didn’t you have something important to discuss with the Madam? Best to get to the point so she can rest.”

  She pced the tea on the table. “Top-grade jade-leaf green tea. Please, have a taste.”

  The Old Madam took a sip and smacked her lips appreciatively. Only then did she speak.

  “The two young masters are of age for schooling. I’ve personally invited a teacher who is now resting at Qingfeng Inn. Go fetch him tomorrow.”

  Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow slightly.