High-class maid

"I definitely couldn't adapt. If I were to stay in Jinling, I would cry my eyes out!" Shan Tao said.

"Don't be too sad. Granny Zhou is getting old, and Madam certainly won't let her stay in Jinling forever," Shen Xing'er comforted her.

"Really...?" Yamamomo murmured to herself.

"Of course," Shen Xing'er thought to herself. The original book mentioned this incident. Several elderly people stayed in Jinling. After a few years, the Second Madam requested to return to Jinling, and those elderly people returned to the capital.

However, she couldn't tell this to Yamamoto, otherwise Yamamoto would think she was crazy.

"Alright, why think so much? Instead of being sad here, let's think about what to bring back for Granny Zhou when we return to the capital."

"Yes, yes, we should pack some local specialties from the capital into her bag. I heard that winters in Nanjing aren't too cold, so she won't need too many clothes..."

Shen Xing'er listened to Shan Tao's self-talk and finally couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep. Shan Tao saw that she didn't respond to her and felt bored, so she also fell asleep soon after.

"Madam, Mrs. Xiao and her daughter-in-law, Madam Xiao, have come to pay their respects. They are currently sitting in the hall." Danxue delivered the message, and the masters who were having breakfast paused, then secretly watched the old lady's reaction.

"Hmph, we've been in Jinling for two months, and only now that we're about to leave do you remember to see me. Let her sit there and wait a while. Danxue, serve the guests good tea, don't neglect them," the old lady said.

"Grandmother, don't be angry. Finish this bowl of porridge first." Xiao Luosheng stepped forward, picked up the porridge from the table, and fed the old lady spoonful by spoonful.

"A bunch of ingrates! What are they doing here, pretending to be friendly and hanging around me like this? Do they want something from me again?" the old lady said angrily.

It turns out that the Madam Xiao that Danxue mentioned was the old lady's sister-in-law. In the years before the old lady's family moved to the capital, the two families had frequent interactions, and the old lady would accept any requests she made.

After all, it's normal for a family to help their own brother now that they've prospered. But after Master Xiao died, this family revealed their true colors, actually demanding to move into the Minister's mansion, claiming that the absence of a male head of the household was unacceptable!

The old lady was furious and immediately said, "I'm too sad to even grieve for my own brother's death, and they're already so eager to scheme against my family's property. If they come to the capital, I'll risk my old life rather than let them set foot in the mansion!"

Later, the patriarch, unusually, used his power to prevent his own family from entering the capital, and the two families never interacted again.

“Grandmother, why don’t we go with you? We can see our old friends in the capital!” Xiao Yi’an said.

"No need. People who don't know better will think I'm afraid of her. I'm just going to meet a guest. Why make such a fuss?" After the old lady finished speaking, she gestured for Xiao Luosheng to put the bowl on the table.

Immediately, a quick-thinking maid brought over a spittoon. The old lady calmly rinsed her mouth and wiped her lips before getting up and walking towards the hall with the help of the first lady.

Grandma Xiao was drinking tea in the hall. She hadn't tasted such fine tea in a long time; even the teacup was decorated with gold trim. Suddenly, she felt a darkness before her eyes; it was her sister-in-law who had arrived.

The old lady was wearing a white cloak with thick, dense fur at the collar, and underneath she wore a dark red dress with phoenix flowers embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs, looking understated yet luxurious.

Looking at herself, she was still wearing the new clothes she had bought two years ago. Despite her painstaking efforts to dress up, she was still less attractive than her sister-in-law in casual clothes. Her face, which had once been calculating, now made her even more unapproachable.

Grandma Xiao put her teacup on the table, stood up, and said with a fawning smile, "Sister-in-law, it's been so many years, you still look so energetic."

The old lady sat down directly, then gestured for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to sit down as well, displaying the demeanor of a true hostess.

The old lady Xiao was displeased, but considering her purpose, she could only suppress her displeasure.

"It has indeed been many years since we last met. I have been in Nanjing for many days, but I still can't get used to the tea here. I wonder what you think of the Biluochun tea from the capital?"

The old lady raised her hand, took a sip of tea, and asked.

"Sister-in-law is complaining that I didn't visit you sooner. But things are different now than before. I was afraid that you would be too tired from seeing outsiders every day, so I delayed until today."

"Sister-in-law still tends to overthink things." The old lady put down her teacup and said no more.

"Auntie is still as young as ever, just like many years ago. Hua Rong wanted to pay her respects to you, but she caught a cold and stayed at the mansion. She was so envious of our visit today."

Miao, the daughter-in-law of Old Madam Xiao, said, “Don’t be fooled by Miao’s honest appearance. She has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to gain a foothold in Old Madam Xiao’s eyes.”

"Hua Rong's health is still so weak," the old lady said.

"Yes, we've consulted so many famous doctors in Jinling, but none of them could cure her. I've heard that there are many famous doctors in the capital, and I really want to take her there to see a doctor."

As she spoke, Ms. Miao wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, looking every bit the loving mother.

The old lady gave a mocking smile. This Miao woman was still the same; she couldn't keep a secret. She had only sat down for three sentences before revealing the purpose of her visit. It seemed she had no intention of dealing with her at all.

"If you ask me, Hua Rong has been sick for so many years. Instead of spending time looking for a doctor, it would be better to let her stay at home and rest. Finding a good husband is the more important thing."

"To be honest, it was my fault a few years ago. My old man was bewitched and insisted on going to the capital. I couldn't stop him, and that's how that incident happened," said Old Mrs. Xiao.

"There's no point in saying all this now. You've seen me today, so if you have nothing else to say, you should go home," the old lady said, dismissing them.

"You!" Old Mrs. Xiao quickly lost her temper and stood up, about to lash out. Mrs. Miao swiftly grabbed her, then smiled apologetically.

“Auntie, please don’t take my mother-in-law’s temper too seriously. You know her temper. It’s just that Hua Rong’s illness has really troubled me for many years. I don’t want to bother you unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

"Where is Jiuzhou?" The old lady didn't answer her question, but instead asked about Xiao Jiuzhou.

Miao's eyes flickered as she said, "Jiuzhou... he's busy with important matters right now and can't get away... but he said he'll come to pay his respects to you in a few days!"

The old lady waved her hand, no longer bothering to feign politeness with the family. If they still thought she was as easy to talk to as she had been a few years ago, they were sorely mistaken.

She nodded and said, "Okay, then you can go back. Don't come back unless it's absolutely necessary."

“I called you sister-in-law, and you’re really putting on airs! Don’t forget what your father-in-law said before he left!” said Old Mrs. Xiao.

"Hmph, don't try to intimidate me with your father-in-law. You've already demanded so much, isn't that enough? Is this how you ask for favors?"